US committed to ensuring every country can operate in Indo-Pacific region

WASHINGTON: The United States (US) is committed to ensuring that every country is free to conduct lawful activities in the Indo-Pacific region, according to Sputnik.
 
“We’re committed to ensuring that every country can fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows. And every country, large and small, must remain free to conduct lawful maritime activities,” US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said during remarks at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Friday.
 
According to Austin, the US is modernising its presence in the Indo-Pacific so that it can continue to conduct daily activities in the region where international law permits.
 
Since 2020, Austin said, the US has invested nearly US$1.2 billion in security cooperation funding to ensure that Indo-Pacific countries can detect malign actions and deter coercion in the region.
 
Moreover, the US defence chief noted that President Joe Biden’s 2024 budget request includes a 40 per cent increase over last year’s request for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, proposing an all-time high of US$9.1 billion.
 
Earlier on Friday, Austin and Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu briefly greeted each other at Shangri-La forum’s dinner reception, but did not exchange in any meaningful dialogue.
 
Austin said in May that he expected to engage with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue forum, but China declined. – BERNAMA-SPUTNIK