US: All countries benefit from Indo-Pacific strategy
Manila, Philippines — Washington maintained that it would remain committed to the Indo-Pacific region through engagement with partners and allies in the region.
Patrick Murphy, US Department of State Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Southeast Asia, said that the US would be going forward in the region as a longstanding partner and as a Pacific nation.
"The primary objective of the US Indo-Pacific strategy is to ensure freedom of the seas and skies, to promote market-based economic support, good governance and liberty, and insulate sovereign nations from any external coercion," Murphy said in a phone briefing Thursday.
"This strategy does not exclude any country. All countries in the region benefit from our partnership and our engagement. Those are big countries and those are small countries," he said.
As part of the region, the US would continue its engagement with regional partners and allies in ways that respect national sovereignty, fair trade and the rule of law, Murphy said.
"We want all nations to live in prosperity, security and liberty to the benefit of our peoples," the US State Department executive said.
This statement comes after the recently concluded US-ASEAN Dialogue in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which Murphy dubbed as a "great example" of the continuing cooperation between countries.
"The United States and ASEAN are working together to promote a secure Indo-Pacific region where states large and small play by the rules," Murphy said.
The dialogue allowed the 10 ASEAN member-states and the US to set its course for joint security, political, economic, cultural and capacity-building cooperation for the year.
Among the topics discussed in the dialogue was the denuclearization of North Korea, the developments in the South China Sea and the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar.
Murphy suggested that the negotiations in the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea should be transparent and should lead to a "binding, meaningful result in accordance with international law."
"No one country should bully or coerce their way to results. International law provides a blueprint," he said.
- Latest
- Trending
