Vegan "Need for Multilateral Structure Discussion in Indo-Pacific Region Including Korea"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Steven Biegun, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, argued that a multilateral discussion framework including several countries with common interests such as Korea is necessary in the Indo-Pacific region.

Deputy Secretary Biegun evaluated that the cooperative system centered on the four countries of the U.S., India, Japan, and Australia has expanded to include Korea, Vietnam, and New Zealand, holding weekly discussions since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and that these discussions have been very productive, during a virtual talk at the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum annual meeting on the 31st (local time).

Deputy Secretary Biegun noted that the Indo-Pacific region lacks a strong multilateral structure compared to other regions, and emphasized that having continuous and regular communication among countries sharing interests and values beyond the existing four-country cooperative meetings in the Indo-Pacific region is beneficial.

Deputy Secretary Biegun said that cooperation among Indo-Pacific countries partly aims to respond to China’s political and economic threats, but it is not limited to that; the purpose is to facilitate discussions among more countries that share values and interests.

Since the inauguration of President Donald Trump, the U.S. has promoted an Indo-Pacific strategy involving Japan, Australia, and India to counter China’s expanding influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Deputy Secretary Biegun’s remarks on this day drew attention as they mentioned not only New Zealand, a member of the Anglophone intelligence-sharing alliance 'Five Eyes,' but also Vietnam, a communist country traditionally in conflict with China, as well as Korea, which values its relationship with China.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.