Fairbanks, Alaska: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will be the first member of the cabinet of President Joe Biden to visit Southeast Asia this week, trying to emphasize the importance of the place of Washington on the bond of marriage while pushing back to China.
The United States has put China in the heart of its national security policy for years and the Biden government has called the competition with Beijing “the largest geopolitical test” of this century.
However, six months into his presidency, however, Southeast Asian countries are still seeking details of the Biden strategy and its specific plans for economic, trade and military involvement with the Indo-Pacific.
“You will hear me talk a lot about the partnership and partnership value,” said Austin told reporter enroute to Alaska.
“My goal is to strengthen relationships,” he said.
In the main speech in Singapore on Tuesday and the meeting in Vietnam and the Philippines, Austin would call aggressive Chinese behavior in the South China Sea and emphasized the importance of maintaining a wider and open area.
His journey attended the first visit by Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman to China on Sundays and Mondays and coincides with a trip by the State Secretary Antony Blinken to India, another important partner in US efforts to fight Beijing.
Experts say the presence of Austin is important to explain that Southeast Asia is a vital component in Biden’s efforts.
“The administration understands that this area is very important, so it’s a big part of it: it only appears,” said Gregory Polli, a senior for Southeast Asia at Washington’s strategic and international study center.
Asian diplomats, talking about the condition of anonymity, said Biden’s administration arose now directing its focus to be stronger in Asia after handling other global problems, such as relations with Russia and Europe.
Austin has been due to visit the area in June, but was forced to delay due to restrictions on Covid-19 in Singapore.
So far, Biden administration has been widely tried to collect allies and partners to form a unified front against what he said is economic and foreign economic policies.
The pillar of involvement that has been strikingly lacked in the economic and trade side after the predecessor of Biden, Donald Trump, withdrew from the Trans Pacific Partnership Pact in 2017.
The administration has explained that it is not in a hurry to join the pact like that, the critics are It is said that it will cost American work, but has discussed the possibility of smaller agreements such as digital trade.
The Pentagon has completed a study of China and Austin policy has issued internal direction for several initiatives, but some details have emerged.
The US Navy has maintained a stable pattern of freedom of operation of navigation in the South China Sea and near Taiwan but this does not seem to do a little to prevent Beijing.
Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan all have rival claims to Beijing in the South China Sea and mostly welcome US presence in the face of militarization of waterways and fleet fleets.
Abraham Danish, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia, said Washington said “all the right things in the competition” with China but there are questions about how it can “translate words into action and investment.” It is still unclear, “what will be seen in terms of our budget, in terms of our force posture, in terms of our investment in diplomacy and infrastructure, actually placing meat in the bones,” he said.
Austin’s priority in the Philippines will take place in renewing an agreement governing the existence of US forces there, which is a vital US strategic interest.
The deadline for expiration of the pact has been extended several times.
Analysts said Austin needs to achieve a balance between emphasizing Chinese threats and explaining that Washington saw Southeast Asia more than just a military theater.
“The emphasis of the area is yes, has the military around either and welcome, but you need an economic strategy,” said Asian diplomats.