US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin used a speech at Asia’s top regional security conference to reassure US security allies and partners of Washington’s commitment to the Asia-Pacific, as the White House is preoccupied with the conflicts that rage in Ukraine and Gaza.
“Despite these historic clashes in Europe and the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific has remained our priority area of operations,” Austin said Saturday at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, noting that “the United States can only be secure if Asia is also is. “
“For just as what happens in Europe and the Middle East matters to this region, the actions we take here together will continue to shape the 21st century for the entire world,” Austin said, adding: “ We are all in on it. aren’t going anywhere.”
