Incoming US national security adviser Mike Waltz has said the new administration will continue and reinforce Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy – including arms sales to Taiwan – to deter Beijing’s ambitions in the region.
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Speaking one week before Donald Trump is sworn in as president, Waltz pledged to leverage Indo-Pacific partnerships, including the trilateral security alliance with Australia and Britain on technology supply chains, to counter Chinese influence.
His remarks offered the clearest signals yet since Trump’s re-election in November as to what the incoming administration’s strategy is likely to be regarding the Indo-Pacific region and Taiwan.
The return of Trump, who has often attacked US allies over their share of defence spending, unsettled many in Europe and Asia who fear he will not be as committed as his predecessor Joe Biden to regional security partnerships.
Waltz was appearing at a “Passing the Baton” event alongside his predecessor Jake Sullivan at the United States Institute of Peace on Tuesday, when he made the clear affirmation that US partnerships in the region would continue.
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“Where I certainly give this administration some credit is the trilateral dialogue between South Korea, the United States and Japan, and then also between the United States, Japan and the Philippines,” Waltz said.