Update | At G20 summit, Obama warns against Asia-Pacific bullying, in message to China
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US President Barack Obama sent a veiled warning to Beijing as he spoke out against bullying in the Asia-Pacific yesterday. He said his country would renew its commitment to the strategic pivot to the region.
Obama, in Australia for the Group of 20 summit in Brisbane, insisted Asia's security order must not be based on "coercion or intimidation … where big nations bully the small, but on alliances for mutual security".
He did not explicitly point the finger at China, but there was little doubt he was alluding to its maritime disputes and growing concern at its military build-up.
In a policy speech at Queensland University, Obama said: "No one should ever question our resolve or our commitments to our allies.
"Day in, day out, steadily, deliberately, we will continue to deepen our engagement using every element of our power - diplomacy, military, economic, development."
Obama promised continued efforts to enhance security ties with countries as disparate as Japan and Vietnam, both of which are locked in stand-offs with Beijing over territorial claims in the East and South China seas. But he put forward no new security initiatives.