Feb 12,2022:The United States says it will strengthen cooperation with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region in a wide range of areas to counter China’s growing influence.
President Joe Biden’s administration unveiled its Indo-Pacific strategy on Friday. It described China as seeking to become “the world’s most influential power.”
The administration said that Beijing is “combining its economic, diplomatic, military, and technological might as it pursues a sphere of influence in the Indo-Pacific.”
The document said it is important for the US to increase its presence and cooperation in the region. It said the US will enhance connections through frameworks such as the Quad partnership with Japan, Australia and India, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN.
The plan also includes strengthening ties with Taiwan, which China claims as its territory.
The document said the US will work with allies and partners in the region to deepen their interoperability to deter China, and launch a new regional economic partnership in early 2022.
Sources say the Biden administration initially planned to release the Indo-Pacific strategy around last summer, but it was delayed due to increased tensions over Ukraine and other factors.
