Austin reaffirms U.S. commitment to Indo-Pacific | Wilnesh News

SINGAPORE – US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the United States remains critical to the future of the Indo-Pacific region and that the region is “more important than ever” to the United States.

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Austin said Washington’s enduring commitment to the region was a “springboard” for transformative growth in the region.

“We’re all in. No, we’re not going anywhere.”

He argued that the United States and the region are “more secure and more prosperous when we work together,” pointing to partnerships in the region, including with the Philippines, Australia and Japan.

Austin said the region has seen a “new convergence” on nearly all aspects of Indo-Pacific security.

This “fusion,” he explained, is not an alliance or an alliance. Instead, Austin describes it as a set of overlapping and complementary initiatives and institutions driven by a shared vision and a sense of mutual obligation.

“This new integration is about uniting, not dividing. It’s not about imposing the will of a nation. It’s not about bullying or coercion. It’s about the free choice of sovereign nations. It’s about the concept of goodwill that unites us in common interests and the values ​​we cherish,” Austin said.

Some of those values ​​include respect for sovereignty and international law, freedom of the seas and skies, and “the peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue, not coercion or conflict. And certainly not through so-called punishment,” he said.

Although Austin did not mention China directly in his speech, China launched “punishment” exercises around Taiwan on May 23, three days after Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te took office.

Beijing claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has labeled Jimmy Lai a “separatist”.

During the question and answer session, Austin was asked by Chinese Colonel Cao Yanzhong whether the United States was trying to establish a “lite NATO” alliance in the region, and believed that NATO’s eastward expansion had led to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

“I disagree with you that NATO expansion caused the crisis in Ukraine,” Austin responded, drawing applause from the room.

He placed the blame on Russian President Vladimir Putin, noting that “the crisis in Ukraine was clearly caused by Putin’s decision to illegally invade a neighboring country that was militarily inferior at the time.”

“He assumed that he could very quickly roll over his neighbor and annex the country. That was two plus years ago. He has not achieved any of his strategic objectives to this point. But this was brought on because of a decision made by Mr. Putin.”

When talking about whether the United States intends to establish a NATO-style alliance in the Indo-Pacific region, Austin explained that the goal is to work with like-minded countries to achieve a shared vision of a “free and open Indo-Pacific.”

“We have strengthened our relationships with our allies and partners, and we have seen other countries strengthen their relationships with each other in the region.

“This is great news, but it’s because they have a shared vision and shared values. We will continue to do these things in the future,” he concluded.

Separately, Austin was asked by reporters whether the United States would consider the death of a Filipino citizen in the South China Sea an act of war, referring to a question posed to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday. Marcus replied that death would come if death was intentionally caused. “Very, very close to what we would define as an act of war.”