HONOLULU – The defence ministers of the United States, Australia and Japan agreed yesterday to boost military cooperation in the face of China’s growing ambitions.
“We are deeply concerned by China’s increasingly aggressive and bullying behaviour in the Taiwan Strait, and elsewhere in the region,” US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said as he welcomed his counterparts from Australia and Japan to the US military headquarters for the Pacific region.
“Our interest lies in the upholding of the global rules-based order. But we see that order under pressure in the Indo-Pacific as well, as China is seeking to shape the world around it in a way that we’ve not seen before,” said the Australian minister, Richard Marles.
The United States is pressing a diplomatic offensive to counter Chinese influence in the region.
On Thursday, Washington announced a US$810 million (RM3.75 billion) aid package for Pacific Island nations where the United States plans to intensify its diplomatic presence.
Vice-President Kamala Harris travelled last week to Japan and South Korea and said the United States would act without fear or hesitation throughout Asia, including the Taiwan Strait.
Beijing considers Taiwan part of China and claims the thin and busy water channel that separates the two.
Harris also travelled to Seoul and visited the demilitarised zone between the two Koreas. Her visit was designed to show Washington’s commitment to defending South Korea against North Korea. – AFP, October 2, 2022
