US Defense Secy Lloyd Austin to visit Indo-Pacific to contain Chinese assertiveness

In a key development, US Secretary of Defense Llyod J Austin will visit the Indo-Pacific to contain Chinese assertiveness and to bolster US force posture and infrastructure presence in the region. This would mark the fourth visit of the American defence chief to the region and the first in-person meeting since the COVID pandemic hit the globe. The visit also comes days after President Joe Biden landed in the region with the main focus on galvanising support against China. 

"The secretary has said that the Indo-Pacific is the department's priority theatre," Pentagon wrote in an online statement, announcing the visit. 

In a statement, Pentagon informed that Austin will also address the Shangri-la Dialogue, which is a meeting between defence chiefs of 28 Asia Pacific States in Singapore. Furthermore, he will meet defence ministers and other leaders as well as American troops deployed in Thailand. Notably, Chinese leaders have also asked the US government for a meeting on the sidelines of the Singapore conference. 

"We did in fact this week receive a formal request from the [Peoples' Liberation Army] for a meeting and we're currently discussing the potential time, location and duration of such a meeting," a senior defense official said. "But I don't have any more details at this time except to say we expect, from our perspective, the substance of that meeting to be focused on managing competition and regional and global issues," the Pentagon said in a statement. 

US bolsters presence in Indo-Pacific 

As Beijing continues with its belligerent actions in the region, Washington has bolstered steps to mitigate the Xi Jinping led country’s impact and assertiveness in Indo-Pacific  Not only has the US heightened its military presence in the country but also, its leaders have frequently made visits in the region. The country's stance on Taiwan has also become a decisive factor in its relationship with China. 

Pentagon said, "The meetings are a perfect opportunity to hammer home America's enduring commitment to the Indo-Pacific region. It is another instance of the importance America places on the region. Senior U.S. officials continue travels to the region and continue to interact with leaders in the Indo-Pacific. One example is the U.S.-Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting held in Washington last month."