The Harsh Reality Behind Hegseth's Fine Words in Singapore

America's allies and friends have good reasons to be cautious about the mismatch between its words and actions.

- Ravi Velloor

Ten years ago this month, I was invited by the US government to travel in a US Marine Corp MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft transporting then US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter for a flight over the Malacca Strait – a gesture meant to emphasise America's muscular commitment to South-east Asia, and determination to keep the sea lanes of communication open.

Mr Carter, a veteran Pentagon official who rose to the top job after serving 11 secretaries of defence, had told the American media just weeks earlier that in terms of the Barack Obama administration's "rebalance" to Asia, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement "is as important to me as another aircraft carrier. It would deepen our alliances and partnerships abroad and underscore our lasting commitment to the Asia-Pacific".

Writing for the leading newspaper of one of the world's most trade-dependent countries which also happens to be a major US defence partner, I found this heady stuff. At a personal level, I have a fascination for the US military and track it closely – my favourite casual wear is a slate grey t-shirt monogrammed with CVN-70 (USS Carl Vinson).

So, the thrill of that ride was even greater.

Except that when it came to the crunch, none of the promises – whether about American military resolve or commitment to free trade – would materialise in a significant way.

PROMISES, PROMISES

Mr Obama – the president Mr Carter served – failed to hold China to its promise that it would not militarise the islands of the South China Sea. President Donald Trump, who succeeded him in the White House, pulled the US out of the TPP on his first day in office.