Washington: The Trump administration has said it is strengthening alliances, expanding cooperation with India through the Quad and moving to diversify critical mineral supply chains away from China as part of its America First approach to the Indo-Pacific.
Testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, Michael G. DeSombre, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said the region was of “vital strategic importance” to the United States.
“Our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific is unwavering,” DeSombre said.
He said the administration’s approach was rooted in “strengthening alliances and deepening relations with the quad and trilateral cooperation with Japan, the Republic of Korea and the Philippines, and through our key partnerships such as Aukus”.
DeSombre told lawmakers that Washington was focused on preserving peace across the Taiwan Strait, protecting freedom of navigation, strengthening maritime law enforcement and reducing dependence on China for critical minerals.
“Our long standing policy on Taiwan has not changed,” he said, adding that it was guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three joint communiques and the six assurances.
Representative Young Kim, who chaired the hearing, said the United States must work with allies and partners to defend freedom of navigation and uphold international law in the South China Sea.
Kim said Beijing’s actions had extended beyond Taiwan and accused China of trying to dominate international waters.
DeSombre said Chinese activities in the South China Sea were of “utmost concern” to the United States. He said Washington was working with allies and partners to ensure deterrence along the first island chain and maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
Ranking Member Ami Bera said the Indo-Pacific remained “the most vibrant, complicated and consequential region” as the United States dealt with competition from China.
Bera also underlined India’s role in the Quad, saying India played a critical role in the region through the grouping with the United States, Japan and Australia.
DeSombre said the United States was advancing new cooperation within the Quad. He said Washington was implementing the vision laid out by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Quad counterparts in New Delhi through work on “critical minerals, maritime security, infrastructure development, energy security and emerging technologies”.
On critical minerals, DeSombre said the United States was working with allies and partners to diversify sources essential to manufacturing and reduce dependence on China.
He said Vietnam had major mineral resources, but many were still unmapped. The United States, he said, hoped to help Vietnam understand where its critical minerals are and ensure it could be part of a supply chain “that doesn’t run through China”.
Representative Joaquin Castro asked about China’s coercive use of rare earth minerals against Japan and other countries. DeSombre said Washington was “laser focus” on removing that dependency from the United States and its allies.
(IANS)
