Western nations send warships to ASEAN New battleground for China’s power, the US moves to wrestle with Beijing – urge ASEAN to speed up the resolution of Myanmar’s coup d’etat After Min Aung Lai “delayed” his return to democracy
During the past July 22 The United States government has sent Gen. Defense Minister Lloyd Austin has visited three ASEAN countries: Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines. If you look at the three nations that the US Secretary of Defense Come to talk, it would not be difficult to guess that it is a security issue in the South China Sea, which the Beijing government is trying to spread more and more influence.
According to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, the importance of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, said: “A visit by Defense Secretary Austin Shows that the administration under the Biden-Harris government We value Southeast Asia and ASEAN as an important part of Indo-Pacific cooperation.”
After General Lloyd Austin completed his last visit to Vietnam shortly after early august The White House has issued a statement saying that Ms. Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States. It is scheduled to visit Singapore and Vietnam in August. The aim is to enhance the ties of the two nations in the hopes of resisting Chinese influence in the region.
According to Simon Sanders, spokesman for Vice President Harris Just state the point of discussion. Ms Harris will discuss regional security, COVID-19 response, climate change. and joint efforts to promote international order During discussions with the leaders of the two nations as part of the tightening relations and economic and security relations between the United States with the Indo-Pacific region
Ms Harris is scheduled to visit Singapore and Vietnam between 20-26 August, according to a White House official said. The two ASEAN member states are critical to US relations and security strategies. for the Asia region
The visit marks Harris’ first visit to ASEAN as Vice President. It was also the first time a US vice president. travel to Vietnam as well For visits to Singapore and Vietnam Reuters reported that from the perspective of senior officials in the White House, Both Vietnam and Singapore are important strategic partners of the United States. Considering the geopolitical characteristics The importance of economy, trade and security, especially in the South China Sea.
Reuters also cited US government officials. Ms Harris also stressed that the use of trade routes throughout the South China Sea should be free and that no country should not respect the rights of another country.
In addition to Harris and Gen. Austin, several senior US officials, including Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, have visited Japan and South Korea, while Secretary Wendy Sherman Assistant US Department of State has also visited Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia as well as Japan, South Korea, Mongolia and China as well.
Let’s go back to the ASEAN issue. A prominent reason for President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw forces from Afghanistan as one of its key strategies in the Middle East is that the US has a policy to focus more on Southeast Asia. This can be seen from the attitudes of key figures of the Biden Administration towards ASEAN. This is in line with what Antony Blinken once said. This region is rich in important resources. Many countries are being coerced by China and the United States will be on their side.
West sends warships to break Chinese
Not only the stance of the US government only during the past month. Significant progress has been reported as European nations, all members of the North Atlantic Defense Organization, or NATO, such as the United Kingdom and Germany, have deployed warships and some troops. become more stationed in the waters of the Asian region This can be seen from the Royal Navy’s deployment of the Carrier Strike Group led by HMS Queen Elizabeth, a new aircraft carrier. of the United Kingdom In addition to British aircraft carriers The Carrier Strike Group also includes patrol boats of the Royal Dutch Navy and other nations. into the disputed waters of the South China Sea Although the arrival of the British fleet is said to be for joint exercises with the Singapore Armed Forces and other nations in the region. But according to Ben Wallace, the British Defense Secretary said intends to take the liberty of cruising through the South China Sea. which is the international waters that do not belong to any one nation
And just after a fleet of warships led by the British Navy moved. The German Navy (Deutsche Marine) plans to send a cruise ship into the South China Sea for the first time in two decades as part of a six-month mission the Berlin government has to its NATO allies and to support freedom of navigation. The report stated that The German Navy will send a Brandenburg-class patrol frigate. The name of the ship Bayern Departs from Al Hemshaven Naval Base to be stationed in the South China Sea.
for Bayern It is an anti-submarine torpedo carrier 46 equipped with anti-ship missiles. and anti-aircraft weapons. Throughout the six-month mission, the ship is expected to sail toward the African beak. It passes through the Indian Ocean, Australia, the South China Sea and ends in Japan. which has a region of high tension between Washington and Beijing
“Under cooperation with partners Germany wants to appear more in the Indo-Pacific region,” the naval statement said.
Although the German Navy’s statement did not explicitly state the South China Sea, the “Indo-Pacific region” was the region of greatest strategic importance. permanent Other nations such as France, Japan, Australia and New Zealand They have also begun to play an active role in the Indo-Pacific. The only reason was to block the spread of Chinese influence.
The Beijing government’s Global Times quoted a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in London as saying: “Threats to the freedom of navigation of the Carrier Strike, which traveled half the world to the South China Sea This will increase military tensions in the region.”
Washington urges ASEAN Accelerate the clearing of the Burmese knot
The beginning of the role of Western nations in ASEAN is undeniable. Western nations face a big obstacle: As much as it should be against the ASEAN Member States, the United States may choose to approach nations that can be “Diplomatic shuttle” to counter the power with China, such as Singapore, Vietnam or Indonesia in finding a “strategic partner” because the author points out that ASEAN is not. “One and the same” is nothing new. and the case of the Burmese coup The most obvious showing that ASEAN is still cracking up is the coup in Burma. where the member nations show different stances
However, for this recently the United States, which has begun to move towards strategic diplomacy and security. Recently, the United Nations has reiterated its stance on the case of the Burma coup. by urging ASEAN to resolve the situation in Myanmar as quickly and as concretely as possible A source from a senior official told foreign media that It is now clear that the Myanmar junta is delaying. For their own benefit, therefore, ASEAN Member States should increase the pressure on the Myanmar military government. to resolve the political crisis in Myanmar
The senior US official’s remarks came ahead of the scheduled opening by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. It is scheduled to attend a conference next week. together with foreign ministers from ASEAN members This is the latest effort by the Wong Qing Dun government to enhance US involvement with ASEAN countries.
The pressure from the Western powers that has begun to affect the ASEAN region is increasing. It is also a challenge for ASEAN nations themselves. Failure to take a strong enough international diplomatic stance, as many nations need to maintain multiple levels of deep ties with the two superpowers. Thus, it is a new challenge for ASEAN as the region is becoming a battleground for two superpowers.
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