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SINGAPORE – The United States has a firm and lasting commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, but they want cooperation and not control, US Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday in a speech at a summit of the United States. Southeast Asia, aimed at concealing the growing influence of China.
Pence, who represented President Donald Trump at the 10 nations summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Singapore and another later in the week in Papua New Guinea, said to his fellow officers that "the empire and the aggression do not have their place" in the region. .
US support includes efforts to fight terrorism and pressurize North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons and a commitment "to defend the freedom of the seas and skies where we stand by for your freedom of navigation and our determination to ensure that your nations are safe in your sovereign borders on land, at sea and in the digital world ".
"Like you, we are looking for an Indo-Pacific in which all nations, big and small, can prosper and prosper – safely in our sovereignty, in our trust in our values and in strengthening us together," said Pence.
The ASEAN meetings focus on strengthening trade and security in an area of more than 630 million people.
During his stay in Singapore, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang sought to rebadure China's neighbors on the extension of its field of action, both economic and military, throughout the region.
Conflict management in the South China Sea is a constant concern. China is opposed to its small neighbors in multiple conflicts at sea over coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global trade and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves.
The region is a potential flashpoint and a major concern for the United States and other countries that rely on the right of pbadage for navigation.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who sought to ease tensions with China over contentious claims of his country, said Thursday that it was crucial that the countries involved complete the development of a "Code of Conduct" to prevent misunderstandings that could lead to conflict.
"China is here, it's the reality," he told reporters before joining the morning's meetings. "Strong military activity will provoke a reaction from China, I do not mind everyone going to war, except that the Philippines is right next to those islands." There is shooting there. down, my country will be the first to suffer. "
Pence alluded to China's concerns that the United States is trying to contain its influence by saying, "Our vision of the Indo-Pacific does not exclude any nation."
However, he added, "it only requires that each nation treat its neighbors with respect, respect the sovereignty of our nations and the international rules."
Contrary to Trump's preference for bilateral relations and the mistrust of international institutions, meetings in Singapore have championed a commitment to free trade and a multilateral approach to dealing with a myriad of problems, ranging from cybercrime and from terrorism to maritime security and e-commerce.
Trump has withdrawn from a Pacific trade initiative, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, just after taking office last year. This trade pact is to come into effect on December 30th.
The United States is also not part of another group of 16 countries centered on Southeast Asia, called the Regional Global Economic Partnership, which includes China, India, Australia, and most of the world. other Asian economies.
On Wednesday, leaders pushed back a final deal on this free trade agreement with 16 countries until 2019. If it is realized, this agreement will create the world's largest trading bloc, with 40% of trade global and 30% of global economic activity.
The trade negotiations followed numerous bilateral meetings between leaders and discussions on other issues such as regional security, the preservation of peace in the South China Sea and the crisis of hundreds of thousands of Muslims. belonging to the Rohingya ethnic group who fled to Bangladesh to escape the Myanmar violence.
Members of ASEAN are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Its annual summit includes meetings with various other countries and a series of bilateral meetings between leaders.
While meetings in Singapore were generally focused on cooperation and goodwill, Myanmar's concerns about the treatment of Rohingya Muslims have elicited unusual comments before the Nobel Peace Prize winner, the leader of the country. Aung San Suu Kyi.
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