Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby provided the following statement:
On June 7, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III will depart for a trip to Singapore and Thailand.
As part of his fourth official visit to the Indo-Pacific region, Secretary Austin will participate in the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) 19th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore and meet with key Indo-Pacific leaders to advance U.S. defense partnerships across the region.
From there, Secretary Austin will travel to Bangkok, as the United States and Thailand take important steps toward modernizing the U.S.-Thai alliance and expanding the depth and breadth of our military cooperation.
Secretary Austin’s trip falls on the heels of the U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit earlier this month and President Biden’s visit to the Republic of Korea and Japan. It is an affirmation of the United States’ deep commitment to working in concert with allies and partners to chart our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, anchored in ASEAN centrality.