Unsure of US, Asia builds new alliances to counter against China

SINGAPORE: Several Asian nations are seeking to bolster informal alliances among themselves, regional diplomats and officials said, unsettled by growing fears that the United States could not be relied on to maintain a buffer against China’s assertiveness.

Countries including Australia, Japan, India and Vietnam are quietly stepping up discussions and co- operation, although taking care they do not upset Beijing, the diplomats said. No one was yet talking about a formal alliance.

Inaugurating the weekend Shangri-La Dialogue, the region’s premier security forum, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said: “In this brave new world we cannot rely on great powers to safeguard our interests.

“We have to take responsibility for our own security and prosperity, while recognising we are stronger when sharing the burden of collective leadership with trusted partners and friends.”

His comments resonated through the three- day meeting that ended yesterday.

Regional officials and analysts said there was growing mistrust of the administration of US President Donald Trump, especially because of his withdrawal from the TransPacific Partnership (TPP) on trade and then, last week, the pullout from the Paris climate accord.

Many fear Trump is signalling a deeper retreat from a traditional US security role that has underpinned the region for decades.

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis told the Singapore forum that Washington remained committed to the region and insisted it would oppose China’s militarisation of the disputed South China Sea, one of Asia’s most volatile hotspots.

Regional officials said they were worried by Trump’s unpredictability and concerned that his warm praise of Chinese President Xi Jinping after their first summit meeting in April would influence any decisions on Asia.

“We trust Mattis and we trust ( US Pacific Commander Harry) Harris but at the very top? The trust gap is very wide,” said one senior Asian military officer.

“Our fear is driven by the reality that it is only the US that is powerful enough to set red lines with China.”

Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Asia was still trying to figure out Trump’s policy in the region.

“I would like to know very clearly what are the true intentions of the new administration,” he said.

In broad terms, Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen confirmed accelerated cooperation among partners, but he also said he welcomed Mattis’ reassurances.

“Countries look at the landscape and you adjust, and that’s what good leadership does...you put yourself in a position so if there are changes, you are not caught completely off- guard,” Ng said at a news conference on Sunday. — Reuters