Indo-Pacific is focus of Washington’s diplomatic strategy, US official says
- Daniel Kritenbrink of the State Department insists that economic ties to the region means US future is staked to stability there
- He also suggests that as a sign of engagement, a new US embassy is coming to the Maldives and, possibly, Tonga and Kiribati
Washington has placed the Indo-Pacific as the focus of its overall diplomatic strategy, and connected it to alliances in Europe, because the region is “central” to US prosperity, a senior State Department official said on Tuesday.
“At the core of our Indo-Pacific strategy is building connections with allies, partners and friends within and beyond the region to create and support what we call a latticework of strong and mutually reinforcing coalitions to build collective capacity,” he said in an address at the Washington campus of the East-West Centre think tank.
Biden has overseen fast-paced US efforts to bolster existing alliances in the region like the Quad and to build new ones, including the US-EU dialogue, PBP and the Aukus military technology-sharing partnership with Australia and Britain.
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US pledges support to Pacific Islands, rivalling China’s influence
Prime ministers Rishi Sunak of Britain and Anthony Albanese of Australia appeared with Biden on Monday in California to unveil details of the Aukus plan. Canberra will start by purchasing nuclear-powered US submarines in a bid to counter China’s growing navy.
Aukus leaders assert that the plan seeks to ensure the stability of trade flows in the region, including through the Taiwan Strait.