Austin also expressed Washington's "deep concern" about the escalating violence in Myanmar during a meeting with Southeast Asia's defense ministers on the sidelines of the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue.
Defense ministers from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Timor-Leste attended the meeting to discuss opportunities to advance regional peace and stability.
During the meeting, Austin talked about maintaining a rules-based regional security environment and reaffirmed the US's strong commitment to the region.
He assured that Washington will continue its engagement with the Southeast Asian region and enhance defense cooperation among ASEAN countries to address common security challenges in the Indo-Pacific, including through the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus.
"Secretary Austin reiterated concerns about coercive activity by the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the South China Sea.He underlined the importance of respecting freedom of navigation in the high seas guaranteed under international law, and he called on the PRC to adhere to it. "The final and legally binding 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Tribunal award," Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a readout after the meeting.
India is also playing an active role in ASEAN's highest defense advisory and cooperative mechanism ADMM-Plus.
Last November, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh had visited Indonesia's capital Jakarta to attend the 10th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus).
The Forum to Strengthen Security and Defense Cooperation comprises ASEAN member states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and eight dialogue partners (India, US, China, Russia, Japan, South) are included.Korea, Australia and New Zealand).
Defense ministers from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Timor-Leste attended the meeting to discuss opportunities to advance regional peace and stability.
During the meeting, Austin talked about maintaining a rules-based regional security environment and reaffirmed the US's strong commitment to the region.
He assured that Washington will continue its engagement with the Southeast Asian region and enhance defense cooperation among ASEAN countries to address common security challenges in the Indo-Pacific, including through the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus.
"Secretary Austin reiterated concerns about coercive activity by the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the South China Sea.He underlined the importance of respecting freedom of navigation in the high seas guaranteed under international law, and he called on the PRC to adhere to it. "The final and legally binding 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Tribunal award," Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a readout after the meeting.
India is also playing an active role in ASEAN's highest defense advisory and cooperative mechanism ADMM-Plus.
Last November, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh had visited Indonesia's capital Jakarta to attend the 10th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus).
The Forum to Strengthen Security and Defense Cooperation comprises ASEAN member states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and eight dialogue partners (India, US, China, Russia, Japan, South) are included.Korea, Australia and New Zealand).
