US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin will embark on his ninth visit to the Indo Pacific region after taking office this week, including India, South Korea, and Indonesia, to strengthen his "unwavering commitment" to the Indo Pacific region. According to reports, Austin hopes to meet with Chinese counterparts at the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting in Indonesia, although Beijing has not yet announced a successor to the defense minister.
The US Department of Defense announced on Monday (November 6, 2023) that Austin will stop in India, South Korea, and Indonesia to meet with defense officials from the Indo Pacific region and participate in a series of events, highlighting the increasingly close cooperative relationship between the United States and its allies.
An unnamed US defense official stated in the briefing that each visit will highlight the US defense department's continuous strengthening of cooperation with allies and partners to achieve a shared vision of regional peace, stability, and prosperity.
Next week, you will see the diversity of the security system in the Indo Pacific region and the depth of our comprehensive commitment, "the official said.
According to the public information of the Pentagon, during his stay in India, Austin will meet with Rajnath Singh, the Indian Defense Minister, and will also participate in the annual "US India 2+2 Dialogue" with Antony J. Blinken, the Secretary of State of the United States, and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the Indian Foreign Minister.
The "US India 2+2 Dialogue" debuted in New Delhi on November 9th
The US India 2+2 dialogue will discuss bilateral and global concerns, as well as developments in the Indo Pacific region, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Bangladesh elections, and China issues. The schedule discussion for India's hosting of the Quartet summit may also be on the agenda.
Donald Lu, the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, said that the "US India 2+2 Dialogue" was the "key part" of Antony Blinken's visit, and the main focus of the discussion would be to maintain the "freedom, openness, prosperity and security" of the Indo Pacific region.
This summer, the United States and India upgraded their strategic partnership and finalized a roadmap for cooperation in the defense industry. Key areas of technical cooperation include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, undersea areas, air and land combat mobility systems, and ammunition systems. During Austin's visit to India, there will also be discussions on the interoperability between the two armies and regional multilateral exchanges.
During his stay in South Korea, Austin is expected to meet with senior officials such as South Korean Defense Minister Shin Genseok and hold security consultation meetings. After the meeting, both sides are expected to release a defense vision statement. A US defense official said that the United States will strengthen its firm commitment to South Korean security, including extending deterrence.
Given North Korea's recent activities, this is crucial. Secretary Austin will state that the US Department of Defense is fully committed to North Korea's denuclearization, "the defense official said.
In Indonesia, US Defense Minister Austin will attend the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Expanded Meeting, which includes representatives from China, Russia, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as representatives from 10 ASEAN member countries and the United States. East Timor will attend as an observer for the first time.
US Defense Minister Looking Forward to Meeting with Chinese counterparts
Bloomberg reported that the Austin office has officially requested a meeting with China's defense minister. The United States is striving to rebuild military ties between the United States and China, despite the dismissal of former Defense Secretary Li Shangfu last month and the fact that Beijing has not yet announced his successor.
US defense officials emphasize that in the next week and a half, "whether in New Delhi, Seoul, or Jakarta, the world will see an important mainline, and we believe we are achieving results with our partners.