US State Department Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of the East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink says that the US will continue to bolster ties with partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
At an East-West Center event in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, assistant secretary Kritenbrink said in his keynote remarks that the US will continue flexible and practical cooperation with countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
The speech comes around the one-year anniversary of the Biden administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy. Kritenbrink says that Beijing’s actions suggest that it has the intention to challenge the international rules-based order. “Invest, align, and compete” continue to be at the center of the US's China strategy.
The US will continue to invest in both the economic and military strength at home, align with partners and allies to defend the rules-based order, and compete with China to defend interests. However, he added that the US will also pursue cooperation with China in areas where they have shared interests.
Kritenbrink says the US has made it clear to China that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are essential to regional and global prosperity. He says that the country opposes unilateral changes to the status quo from either side.
The assistant secretary adds that the US will continue to uphold commitments to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability.