US military chiefs reach out to Asian allies as great power game heats up with China and Russia
Pentagon seeks to reassure region that it is here to stay as White House shifts defence focus from Middle East to Beijing and Moscow
China, the United States and Russia are returning to “an era of great power competition” but the Pentagon is determined to deter the players from confrontation and aggression.
That was the message US Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson delivered in Manila on Friday as her boss, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, ended a weeklong trip to reassure Indonesia and Vietnam of US commitment to the region.
“[The US’ National Defence Strategy] also recognises explicitly that we are stronger together with our allies and partners than we are alone,” Wilson said.
“One of the important elements of our defence strategy is to deepen our relations with allies and partners ... in the Pacific region.”
She said the big distances between countries in the region were a major challenge for the US, but Washington remain committed to promoting “a rule-based international order” in the Indo-Pacific.