Finance
In response to China’s growing ambitions, the defense ministers of the United States, Australia, and Japan agreed on Saturday to increase military cooperation.
“We are deeply concerned by China’s increasingly aggressive and bullying behavior in the Taiwan Strait, and elsewhere in the region,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said as he welcomed his counterparts from Australia and Japan to the US military headquarters for the Pacific region.
“Our interest lies in the upholding of the global rules-based order. But we see that order under pressure in the Indo-Pacific as well, as China is seeking to shape the world around it in a way that we’ve not seen before,” said the Australian minister, Richard Marles.
To counter Chinese influence in the region, the US is launching a diplomatic offensive.
Washington announced a $810 million aid package for Pacific Island nations where the US plans to increase its diplomatic presence on Thursday.
Vice President Kamala Harris visited Japan and South Korea last week, saying the US would act without fear or hesitation throughout Asia, including the Taiwan Strait.
Beijing considers Taiwan to be a part of China and claims the narrow and busy waterway that separates the two.
Harris also visited Seoul and the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas. Her visit was intended to demonstrate Washington’s determination to defend South Korea against North Korea.
Source:HT
