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US fully commited to Indo-Pacific region, says Mattis
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US Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis speaks at the IISS Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday. (Reuters/Edgar Su)
U
nited States Defense Secretary James Mattis said on Saturday the free and open Indo-Pacific region is Washington’s priority and the US is fully committed to playing a bigger role in the region.
“America is in the Indo-Pacific to stay. This is our priority theater; our interests and the region’s are inextricably intertwined,” Mattis said at the 17th Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) in Singapore on Saturday.
“The Indo-Pacific is critical for America’s continued stability, security and prosperity.”
The Indo-Pacific is a geopolitical framework of countries in the Indian and Pacific oceans, which analysts say is a counterfoil to China’s power in the region.
According to Mattis, who has been a regular participant at the SLD over the last two years and who has visited the region six times, no one nation should dominate the Indo-Pacific region.
“America is seeking to help build an Indo-Pacific where sovereignty and territorial integrity are safeguarded, the promise of freedom fulfilled and prosperity prevails for all,” he said.
In order to achieve this goal, the US, Mattis said, would deepen alliances and partnerships on a priority basis.
“We are seeking to develop new partnerships with pivotal players across the region, such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, where we have made historic progress based on shared interests and mutual respect,” he added.
