US consul general extends hand of friendship to China aboard USS Ronald Reagan and emphasises desire to ensure stability in the region
- People’s Liberation Army personnel and local lawmakers visit aircraft carrier
The United States’ top diplomat in Hong Kong welcomed Chinese officials and People’s Liberation Army personnel on board the visiting USS Ronald Reagan on Friday night in a celebration of friendship, but his underlying message asserted his country’s right to patrol regional waters and maintain its military presence.
“The United States seeks to be a friend and partner of every nation in the region, in order to ensure stability, and with the aim of promoting free commerce and shared prosperity,” US Consul General Kurt Tong said, addressing an audience that included the PLA’s Hong Kong garrison chief of staff He Qimao and other officers, as well as local lawmakers.
“The alliances that the United States has maintained in this region over decades, together with our forward-deployed military and our diplomatic presence, all contribute to maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific.”
Tong stuck to the term “Indo-Pacific” instead of “Asia-Pacific”, in keeping with US President Donald Trump’s strategy of acknowledging India’s importance to counter China’s dominance over the region.
The diplomat described the ship they were holding their gathering on as “a 100,000-tonne demonstration of America’s historical and continuing commitment to the Indo-Pacific”.