Amid heightened Chinese aggression, Australia and the US reaffirmed their “unwavering commitment” to a free and open Indo-Pacific, saying all countries in the region are “free to choose their own destinies”.
At a joint press conference with Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles on Saturday (local time), US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said,
“We are deeply concerned by China’s aggressive, escalatory, and destabilising military activities in the Taiwan Strait and elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific.”
Austin held a Trilateral Defence Ministers Meeting (TDMM) with Marles and Japanese Minister of Defence Hamada Yasukazu in Hawaii on Saturday and called out China’s aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific region.
“We (the US, Japan, and Australia) remain focused on maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said Austin.
Stressing the importance of the alliance system in the Indo-Pacific region, the US Defence Secretary said, “The US and Australia have long-standing ties of trust and friendship.
We are both deeply dedicated to freedom and democracy. We also share an unwavering commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. In this region, all countries are free to choose their own destinies, where states respect international law and disputes are resolved peacefully without coercion or intimidation. They are the foundation of our unbreakable alliance. “
”These shared convictions run deep, and they are the foundation of our unbreakable alliance,” said Austin.
“The region and the world face a growing challenge from autocratic countries attempting to change the status quo through threats, coercion, provocative military activities and even naked aggression.”
