US can be secure only if Asia is, says defence chief Austin

Focus on region will continue regardless of who wins US election, he stresses

- Clement Tan

The United States wants to meld its strategic alliances and partnerships in Asia into a "new convergence" based on the rule of law - a commitment that its defence chief said will continue regardless of the outcome of the presidential election in November.

Mr Lloyd Austin evoked "a future of fresh and growing partnerships" in a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue on June 1, which immediately elicited a question from a Chinese military delegate on whether the US was planning to build "a Natolike system in the Asia-Pacific region".

In response, the US Secretary of Defence described it as a strengthening of relationships with allies and partners based on a common vision and common values.

He also emphatically rejected the Chinese delegate's suggestion that Nato's eastern expansion was responsible for the war in Ukraine, eliciting applause from many in the audience.

With China and the US competing for influence in the Asia-Pacific, Mr Austin said that Washington remains focused on the region, even as other flashpoints in the world such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the crisis in Gaza compete for attention.

"Despite these historic clashes in Europe and the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific has remained our priority theatre of operations," he said.

"The actions that we take together here will continue shaping the 21st century for the entire world.

And safeguarding the security and prosperity of this region remains the core organising principle of US national security policy." This will continue, whoever occupies the White House after the election, he added.