The U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific is at the heart of American national security strategies, and the power of the partnerships that regional nations have built with the United States forms the core for a peaceful and prosperous world for all, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said today in prepared remarks during a major speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, US Department of Defense reports.
American strategists no longer talk about the "U.S. pivot to Asia." That has happened. On the military side, Austin noted that the Indo-Pacific is DOD's "priority theater" with more than 300,000 American service members in the region working with allies and partners to ensure the rules-based international order is maintained.
Time and again in the speech, Austin emphasized partnerships. He has noted that U.S. partnerships with Indo-Pacific nations have grown and matured. "We've moved together toward our shared vision for the region," he said. "The journey that we've made together in the past year only underscores a basic truth: In today’s interwoven world, we're stronger when we find ways to come together."
The United States works with treaty allies Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and the Philippines. America also works closely with the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue group alongside India, Japan and Australia.
