US-China tensions have America’s closest allies in Asia strengthening their militaries. But in a boost to President Joe Biden’s diplomatic efforts, that trend is extending to some SEA nations, which have recently kept the US at arm’s length. Know more:
US-China tensions have America’s closest allies in Asia strengthening their militaries. But in a boost to President Joe Biden’s diplomatic efforts, that trend is extending to some Southeast Asian nations, which have recently kept the US at arm’s length.
Wary of being forced to pick sides between the US and China, SEA nations have historically struggled to find a middle ground. While many regional governments count on the US as a key security partner, China has been the Asean’s biggest economic ally for 13 consecutive years, with two-way trade exceeding $500 billion this year.
Biden will get a chance to make the US case to regional allies directly in his first trip as President to SEA this week, when he arrives to take part in an Asean summit in Cambodia and then heads to a meeting with Group of 20 leaders in Bali, Indonesia. Biden called the US military alliance with the Philippines “ironclad” in a meeting with Marcos last year, a sharp shift from the Duterte era when some analysts feared the two nations’ mutual defense treaty could get scrapped in what would have been a huge win for Beijing.
Overall, defense spending in the Asia-Pacific region now accounts for nearly a quarter of global investment, with China making up 46 percent of this year’s total, data from defense specialist Janes shows. Japan, South Korea, India, Taiwan and Australia are all forecast to expand spending significantly in the coming years, adding $100 billion to the region’s annual total by 2032.
Officials in Beijing have pushed back on the US outreach, slamming what they call a “Cold War” mindset in Washington. And China has pushed an alternative to the US’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, trying to assuage regional suspicions of its intentions by emphasizing shared economic benefits.
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