Connect with us

American News

Senior US diplomat pitches arms sales in China’s backyard

Published

on

Tina S. Kaidanow, Coordinator for Counterterrorism in the U.S. Department of State as of 2015 (Photo By U.S. Department of State - http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/80149.htm, Public Domain)

Tina S. Kaidanow, Coordinator for Counterterrorism in the U.S. Department of State as of 2015 (Photo By U.S. Department of State – http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/80149.htm, Public Domain)

BEIJING — The top U.S. diplomat overseeing arms sales said Monday she would be promoting American weaponry at the largest air show in Asia, where China’s military footprint and political influence are surging.

A large U.S. delegation at the Singapore Air Show is doing “everything we can” to encourage Southeast Asian governments to purchase U.S.-made arms like the F-35 fighter jet, Ambassador Tina Kaidanow told reporters in a telephone briefing. She repeatedly sought to dispel the notion that U.S. influence was in retreat.

The Trump administration in December outlined a new national security strategy that placed an emphasis on countering China’s rise. The strategy calls for reinforcing the U.S. presence in the Indo-Pacific region, where Beijing and Washington have accused each other of stoking a dangerous military buildup while vying for influence.

Washington has been seeking to woo countries like Vietnam, a former foe, with arms sales and transfers at a time when China has bolstered its territorial claims in the South China Sea with extensive construction projects on man-made islands.

Kaidanow said the transfer last year of a coast guard cutter to Vietnam, which often contests China’s maritime claims, was an “incredible positive.”

“They will be able to use our equipment for maritime domain awareness, for maritime security … that’s important for them,” said Kaidanow, who visited Hanoi last week shortly after U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, on a visit to Vietnam, announced plans to send an aircraft carrier to the country in a show of solidarity.

“Our hope is they will consider American companies (not only) in defence but in other sectors as well,” Kaidanow said, referring to Vietnam.

China’s assertive military posture in the South China Sea has concerned several Southeast Asian countries with rival territorial claims, but Beijing, wary of being encircled by a U.S.-led alliance, has at the same time offered infrastructure investment across the region as a way of winning friends. China has shipped weapons to countries like the Philippines, which once decried China’s maritime claims but has recently drawn closer to Beijing.

Kaidanow said she will meet with officials from Japan, Canada and several Southeast Asian countries to discuss arms purchases at the trade show in the coming days and argued that Southeast Asian countries should consider purchasing U.S. arms “not just as a matter of security but also regional balance.”

U.S. warships will maintain their freedom-of-navigation operations in South China Sea waters claimed by China, she said, adding: “We will absolutely continue the pace.”

China condemns the U.S. operations as “reckless” provocations that raise the risk of military confrontation between the two powers. China strongly protested in January when the USS Hopper destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of Scarborough Shoal, which China disputes with the Philippines.

In the aftermath, Chinese state media referred to the incident to argue that China should speed up its deployments in the busy waterway, where it has built hangers, runways and military infrastructure.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest

Entertainment9 hours ago

Tensions run high as “Makiling” airs explosive finale week beginning April 29

As Amira’s (Elle Villanueva) quest for vengeance intensifies, shocking twists await viewers in the finale week of the hit revenge...

Entertainment9 hours ago

Migs tries out Diwata’s trending overload pares on “My Puhunan”

Karen features pilot captain turned full-time farmer in GenSan Migs Bustos goes in line along the roads of Pasay City...

Entertainment9 hours ago

Angeline releases wedding song “Salamat Ika’y Dumating”

In time for her wedding day with Nonrev Angeline Quinto surprised fans with the drop of her new song “Salamat...

Headline9 hours ago

Why is China risking US sanctions by arming Russia? Survival

US secretary of state Antony Blinken fired a warning salvo towards China during a G7 foreign ministers’ meeting on the...

Instagram9 hours ago

Will checking character references really help you find the best candidate for a job?

Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist...

Canada News9 hours ago

Nunavut government wants to open a protected area in the High Arctic to tourism

Tuvaijuittuq Marine Protected Area off coast of Ellesmere Island considered the last ice area The Government of Nunavut is pushing...

Canada News9 hours ago

Construction of defence building in Yellowknife to begin, years later than expected

By Sarah Krymalowski · CBC News New Department of National Defence facility was originally scheduled to be completed this year Construction on...

News10 hours ago

PCO exec: Gov’t eyes legal action vs. deepfake video creators

MANILA – An official from the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Friday said the government is exploring legal action against...

Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia
News10 hours ago

Enrollment of overseas Filipinos’ online voting gadgets starts 2025

BUTUAN CITY, Agusan del Norte – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will start in January 2025 the three-month registration period...

Oil Well Oil Well
Business and Economy10 hours ago

Oil prices up following strong demand, Middle East strife

ANKARA – Oil prices increased on Friday due to strong US demand and rising tensions in the Middle East. International...

WordPress Ads