1 00:00:00,230 --> 00:00:03,960 To open the 20th double I double 2 00:00:04,119 --> 00:00:07,699 S Shagu dialogue . I would like to 3 00:00:07,710 --> 00:00:11,539 thank Acting Prime Minister Lawrence 4 00:00:11,550 --> 00:00:15,199 Wong for having hosted us last night 5 00:00:15,210 --> 00:00:18,879 for the opening keynote address of this 6 00:00:18,889 --> 00:00:22,379 20th anniversary dialogue that 7 00:00:22,389 --> 00:00:25,750 was delivered by Prime Minister 8 00:00:25,870 --> 00:00:28,799 Albanese . And I'm 9 00:00:28,950 --> 00:00:32,659 delighted again to say how many 10 00:00:32,669 --> 00:00:35,919 delegations are here this year and how 11 00:00:35,930 --> 00:00:39,290 many are led by their defense 12 00:00:39,299 --> 00:00:42,880 minister in a moment ? We'll begin the 13 00:00:42,889 --> 00:00:46,020 first plenary session on the United 14 00:00:46,029 --> 00:00:49,869 states' leadership in the Indo Pacific . 15 00:00:50,270 --> 00:00:52,630 But before that , I need to remind 16 00:00:52,639 --> 00:00:55,759 everybody here that all the speeches 17 00:00:55,770 --> 00:00:58,959 delivered here from the plenary and all 18 00:00:58,970 --> 00:01:01,970 the answers given to questions are on 19 00:01:01,979 --> 00:01:04,919 the record . It's equally the case that 20 00:01:04,930 --> 00:01:07,879 all the questions asked are on the 21 00:01:07,889 --> 00:01:10,440 record . So assume a certain 22 00:01:10,449 --> 00:01:13,540 responsibility for your own reputation 23 00:01:13,730 --> 00:01:16,839 as you ask that question because it 24 00:01:16,849 --> 00:01:19,889 might be cited in public as well . Uh 25 00:01:20,099 --> 00:01:23,949 When people hear it and react to it , 26 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:27,230 if you do want to uh ask a question or 27 00:01:27,239 --> 00:01:29,879 make a comment , please make it crisp 28 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:33,819 in my experience , a short question and 29 00:01:33,830 --> 00:01:37,830 a crisp uh comment will inspire a more 30 00:01:37,839 --> 00:01:41,269 interesting uh answer . And if you wish 31 00:01:41,279 --> 00:01:43,390 to take the floor you will all notice 32 00:01:43,390 --> 00:01:46,319 that all 575 people in this room have a 33 00:01:46,330 --> 00:01:48,500 microphone set in front of them . You 34 00:01:48,510 --> 00:01:51,680 all have a badge . There are two things 35 00:01:51,690 --> 00:01:53,801 that you need to do if you would like 36 00:01:53,801 --> 00:01:57,040 to ask a question . The first is place 37 00:01:57,050 --> 00:02:00,489 your badge into the slot on the right 38 00:02:00,500 --> 00:02:03,989 hand side of the microphone set . And 39 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,510 the second turn on your microphone , 40 00:02:08,238 --> 00:02:11,699 it will then turn green and your name 41 00:02:11,710 --> 00:02:15,119 will appear on my list here . And I 42 00:02:15,130 --> 00:02:17,949 might choose you then to make a crisp 43 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:20,830 comment or ask a precise question . I 44 00:02:20,839 --> 00:02:23,006 will know where you're sitting because 45 00:02:23,006 --> 00:02:25,006 I have a map here and I already see 46 00:02:25,006 --> 00:02:27,789 that four or five experienced delegates 47 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:30,110 at the sela dialogue have already 48 00:02:30,119 --> 00:02:33,330 sought the floor . It is 49 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:36,660 likely that by the time the Secretary 50 00:02:36,669 --> 00:02:38,725 of Defense completes his remarks , I 51 00:02:38,725 --> 00:02:42,380 will see 40 or 50 green dots here and 52 00:02:42,389 --> 00:02:45,059 you will understand my need to choose 53 00:02:45,070 --> 00:02:48,899 in a diverse way , the variety of 54 00:02:48,910 --> 00:02:52,339 participants who might be able to seek 55 00:02:52,350 --> 00:02:54,294 the floor . But I'm glad that that 56 00:02:54,294 --> 00:02:56,369 trade craft has been learned by the 57 00:02:56,380 --> 00:02:58,759 experienced delegates here . And I hope 58 00:02:58,770 --> 00:03:01,259 given that it's only a two step process 59 00:03:01,300 --> 00:03:03,520 that it shouldn't defeat the intellect 60 00:03:03,529 --> 00:03:05,751 of all of those of you who are gathered 61 00:03:05,751 --> 00:03:07,751 here , be reassured that while your 62 00:03:07,751 --> 00:03:10,929 microphone will turn green , it is not 63 00:03:10,940 --> 00:03:13,960 on , it is not a hot mic . It's only 64 00:03:13,970 --> 00:03:17,070 when I press the right button here that 65 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:19,889 it will turn red at which point it does 66 00:03:19,899 --> 00:03:22,070 become a hot mic , but I retain the 67 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:24,520 sovereign authority to turn it off if I 68 00:03:24,529 --> 00:03:26,640 believe that you are not following my 69 00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:28,973 initial direction to be crisp and short . 70 00:03:28,973 --> 00:03:30,973 So there we are for housekeeping uh 71 00:03:30,973 --> 00:03:33,940 remarks and now that it is approaching 72 00:03:33,949 --> 00:03:37,929 uh 8 35 it's possible for me to 73 00:03:37,940 --> 00:03:41,800 introduce uh our uh opening 74 00:03:41,809 --> 00:03:45,679 speaker . And while it sounds 75 00:03:45,690 --> 00:03:49,460 like a mere courtesy , it's true from 76 00:03:49,470 --> 00:03:52,130 the bottom of my heart to say that it's 77 00:03:52,139 --> 00:03:54,649 again a real delight to have Lloyd 78 00:03:54,660 --> 00:03:58,589 Austin sitting beside me here on stage 79 00:03:58,679 --> 00:04:01,809 at the Shala Dial . He and I were 80 00:04:01,820 --> 00:04:03,764 speaking on the way here , but the 81 00:04:03,764 --> 00:04:07,149 intensity of travel that defense 82 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:09,660 ministers and defense secretaries 83 00:04:09,669 --> 00:04:13,380 around the world must engage in . He's 84 00:04:13,389 --> 00:04:15,669 been in Japan . He has a couple of 85 00:04:15,679 --> 00:04:18,250 other trips to do , but we're delighted 86 00:04:18,260 --> 00:04:20,269 that he's here honoring the Shala 87 00:04:20,519 --> 00:04:24,179 dialogue with his presence and ready to 88 00:04:24,190 --> 00:04:26,829 address us on a topic that is on 89 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:29,899 everybody's minds , which is the United 90 00:04:29,910 --> 00:04:32,750 States strategic situation in the Indo 91 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:34,970 Pacific region . Mr Secretary . That 92 00:04:34,980 --> 00:04:37,091 podium is yours . Thank you very much 93 00:04:37,091 --> 00:04:38,536 again for being with us . 94 00:04:47,709 --> 00:04:50,029 Well , good morning , everyone . It is 95 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:51,873 indeed great to be back here for 96 00:04:51,873 --> 00:04:54,799 another Shangrila dialogue . 97 00:04:55,829 --> 00:04:57,718 Let me thank John and everyone at 98 00:04:57,718 --> 00:05:00,350 double S for their efforts to deepen 99 00:05:00,359 --> 00:05:02,779 our dialogue on the Indo Pacific . 100 00:05:04,230 --> 00:05:06,399 You know , this is my third time 101 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:10,279 speaking in Singapore at a double I 102 00:05:10,290 --> 00:05:13,529 double S event . And so this is 103 00:05:13,540 --> 00:05:16,369 starting to be , be , this is becoming 104 00:05:16,380 --> 00:05:17,910 a habit there , John . So 105 00:05:20,950 --> 00:05:23,117 I also want to thank our national host 106 00:05:23,117 --> 00:05:24,783 Singapore for your tremendous 107 00:05:24,783 --> 00:05:28,299 hospitality . It's great to see senior 108 00:05:28,309 --> 00:05:31,519 Minister Tao and Minister Ang 109 00:05:32,380 --> 00:05:34,602 and other distinguished guests from our 110 00:05:34,602 --> 00:05:37,570 host here today . And I'm glad that 111 00:05:37,579 --> 00:05:39,357 we're joined by so many defense 112 00:05:39,357 --> 00:05:41,468 ministers and leaders from around the 113 00:05:41,468 --> 00:05:43,468 Indo Pacific and around the world . 114 00:05:45,510 --> 00:05:48,410 One minister of Defense made a special 115 00:05:48,420 --> 00:05:50,420 effort to be here today . That's my 116 00:05:50,420 --> 00:05:53,609 good friend Alexi Reznikoff of Ukraine . 117 00:05:55,059 --> 00:05:57,399 Alexi's seat is currently empty . I'm 118 00:05:57,410 --> 00:05:59,354 sure he's working a room somewhere 119 00:05:59,354 --> 00:06:01,829 around here . But Alexie , if you can 120 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:04,179 hear me , I remind you that I just tell 121 00:06:04,190 --> 00:06:07,329 you that your presence here reminds us 122 00:06:08,239 --> 00:06:11,730 that we can never take our 123 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:14,859 peace and security for granted . 124 00:06:17,450 --> 00:06:19,829 I'm also delighted to be here with 125 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:22,540 Director Hanes and many of our us 126 00:06:22,549 --> 00:06:25,089 military leaders . And so thanks to 127 00:06:25,100 --> 00:06:28,929 everyone for being here today . This 128 00:06:28,940 --> 00:06:31,750 dialogue is always a great opportunity 129 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:35,720 to exchange views . The only thing 130 00:06:35,730 --> 00:06:37,869 more wide ranging than a conference 131 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:40,829 agenda . It is a breakfast buffet . 132 00:06:46,369 --> 00:06:48,591 You know , this forum began two decades 133 00:06:48,591 --> 00:06:50,647 ago in a very difficult geopolitical 134 00:06:50,647 --> 00:06:53,839 climate . And today we're meeting at 135 00:06:53,850 --> 00:06:56,000 another moment of significant 136 00:06:56,010 --> 00:06:58,950 consequence , more and more the 137 00:06:58,959 --> 00:07:02,000 countries of the Indo Pacific have come 138 00:07:02,010 --> 00:07:04,177 together around a compelling vision of 139 00:07:04,179 --> 00:07:07,489 the future and they're advancing it in 140 00:07:07,500 --> 00:07:11,369 unprecedented ways . It's a vision of a 141 00:07:11,380 --> 00:07:14,959 region in which all countries are free 142 00:07:14,970 --> 00:07:18,079 to thrive on their own terms 143 00:07:18,709 --> 00:07:22,450 without coercion or intimidation or 144 00:07:22,459 --> 00:07:26,350 bullying . It is a vision of a 145 00:07:26,359 --> 00:07:29,859 free and open and secure Indo Pacific 146 00:07:30,869 --> 00:07:33,140 within the world of rules and rights 147 00:07:35,459 --> 00:07:39,089 and that vision is anchored in some key 148 00:07:39,100 --> 00:07:39,929 principles , 149 00:07:42,510 --> 00:07:46,399 respect for sovereignty , adherence 150 00:07:46,410 --> 00:07:47,890 to international law , 151 00:07:50,220 --> 00:07:52,529 transparency and openness , 152 00:07:54,859 --> 00:07:57,470 the free flow of commerce and ideas , 153 00:08:00,010 --> 00:08:02,299 human rights and human dignity , 154 00:08:04,670 --> 00:08:07,220 equal rights for all states , large and 155 00:08:07,230 --> 00:08:11,160 small in resolving 156 00:08:11,170 --> 00:08:13,519 disputes through peaceful dialogue and 157 00:08:13,529 --> 00:08:15,519 not coercion or conquest . 158 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:21,311 You know , since the last time that I 159 00:08:21,311 --> 00:08:23,256 was in Singapore , we've made some 160 00:08:23,256 --> 00:08:26,019 tremendous progress towards our shared 161 00:08:26,029 --> 00:08:29,769 vision of a free and open Indo Pacific . 162 00:08:31,559 --> 00:08:34,690 This is actually my seventh trip to the 163 00:08:34,700 --> 00:08:36,811 region as Secretary of Defense and my 164 00:08:36,811 --> 00:08:40,270 fourth trip to Southeast Asia . And 165 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:43,000 each time I've had the privilege to 166 00:08:43,010 --> 00:08:45,679 listen to leaders expressing their 167 00:08:45,690 --> 00:08:48,460 hopes for their countries and their 168 00:08:48,469 --> 00:08:51,690 people . And those 169 00:08:51,700 --> 00:08:54,969 conversations reinforce a simple truth 170 00:08:56,820 --> 00:09:00,770 and that truth is that no one country 171 00:09:00,780 --> 00:09:02,880 can reach this future alone . 172 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:06,960 As we all heard from Prime Minister 173 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:10,630 Albanese last night , each country has 174 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:13,619 a role to play and the 175 00:09:13,630 --> 00:09:17,130 choices made by countries across 176 00:09:17,429 --> 00:09:19,299 the region reflect a deepening 177 00:09:19,309 --> 00:09:21,770 commitment to the shared principles 178 00:09:24,739 --> 00:09:26,850 throughout the Biden administration . 179 00:09:26,850 --> 00:09:29,072 We've demonstrated what my first speech 180 00:09:29,072 --> 00:09:31,239 in Singapore called the Power of 181 00:09:31,250 --> 00:09:34,809 Partnership . We forged new 182 00:09:34,820 --> 00:09:38,479 friendships and deepened old alliances . 183 00:09:40,489 --> 00:09:42,600 We've reinforced deterrent to prevent 184 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:45,880 conflict . We've defended the rules and 185 00:09:45,890 --> 00:09:48,429 norms that protect us all 186 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:51,951 and we've moved closer to that bright 187 00:09:51,951 --> 00:09:55,229 future that the people of this region 188 00:09:55,239 --> 00:09:58,059 want and the one that they deserve . 189 00:10:00,119 --> 00:10:02,700 So today , I'd like to talk about the 190 00:10:02,710 --> 00:10:04,659 historic progress that we've made 191 00:10:04,669 --> 00:10:07,729 together over the past year , 192 00:10:09,489 --> 00:10:11,600 I'll talk about what the countries of 193 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:13,656 the region are doing to fulfill that 194 00:10:13,656 --> 00:10:15,600 vision , what the United States is 195 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:18,510 doing . And most importantly , what 196 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:19,798 we're doing together , 197 00:10:21,770 --> 00:10:25,549 clearly , we have much more to do . 198 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:29,369 But our vision of a free and open Indo 199 00:10:29,380 --> 00:10:32,140 Pacific is truly shared and truly 200 00:10:32,380 --> 00:10:36,309 achievable . You know , this 201 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:39,219 vision isn't the vision of a single 202 00:10:39,229 --> 00:10:41,340 country or the initiative of a single 203 00:10:41,340 --> 00:10:43,890 country . It is a common and compelling 204 00:10:43,900 --> 00:10:44,659 aspiration . 205 00:10:47,700 --> 00:10:49,770 It's about building the basic 206 00:10:49,780 --> 00:10:51,891 conditions that let people live their 207 00:10:51,891 --> 00:10:54,760 lives without fear and pursue their 208 00:10:54,770 --> 00:10:57,119 dreams without limit 209 00:10:59,549 --> 00:11:03,020 and that matters to citizens across the 210 00:11:03,030 --> 00:11:04,030 region . 211 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:10,719 You know , some 60% of the world's 212 00:11:10,729 --> 00:11:14,380 young people live in this region and 213 00:11:14,390 --> 00:11:17,330 they rightly demand the free flow of 214 00:11:17,340 --> 00:11:21,150 ideas . Fishing 215 00:11:21,159 --> 00:11:23,950 communities in the Philippines and 216 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:27,190 Vietnam and the Pacific Islands depend 217 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:29,169 on open water ways for their 218 00:11:29,179 --> 00:11:32,760 livelihoods and innovators here in 219 00:11:32,770 --> 00:11:36,169 Singapore depend on the rule of law to 220 00:11:36,179 --> 00:11:38,369 keep propelling the global economy 221 00:11:38,380 --> 00:11:39,380 forward . 222 00:11:42,710 --> 00:11:45,479 So these shared principles 223 00:11:47,299 --> 00:11:50,330 matter for men , women and Children all 224 00:11:50,340 --> 00:11:53,880 around this region and they 225 00:11:53,890 --> 00:11:57,630 cannot be taken for granted and 226 00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:00,969 neither can this region's security 227 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:04,599 or prosperity be taken for granted . 228 00:12:07,119 --> 00:12:09,008 Just look at the crisis caused by 229 00:12:09,008 --> 00:12:11,341 Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine . 230 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:15,039 The Kremlin's indefensible war of 231 00:12:15,049 --> 00:12:18,929 choice stands as the bloodiest conflict 232 00:12:19,539 --> 00:12:21,719 in Europe since the end of World War 233 00:12:21,729 --> 00:12:25,539 two . And Russia's shocking 234 00:12:25,549 --> 00:12:27,660 aggression had brought home to people 235 00:12:27,660 --> 00:12:29,716 everywhere . How dangerous our world 236 00:12:29,716 --> 00:12:33,380 would be if big countries could 237 00:12:33,390 --> 00:12:35,679 just invade their neighbors with 238 00:12:35,690 --> 00:12:36,690 impunity . 239 00:12:40,909 --> 00:12:43,750 Russia's invasion shows us all the 240 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:47,390 dangers of disorder and the cost of 241 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:51,010 chaos and that's why so many 242 00:12:51,020 --> 00:12:54,299 countries represented here have 243 00:12:54,309 --> 00:12:56,969 supported Ukraine's brave defenders 244 00:12:57,549 --> 00:13:00,010 against Russia's war of imperial 245 00:13:00,020 --> 00:13:03,739 aggression . And that's why countries 246 00:13:03,750 --> 00:13:06,549 of the Indo Pacific have cast their 247 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:08,809 vote time and again for a future of 248 00:13:08,820 --> 00:13:11,739 peace , prosperity and progress . 249 00:13:15,830 --> 00:13:19,330 This year as president of the 250 00:13:19,340 --> 00:13:22,369 G7 , Japan has focused on 251 00:13:22,380 --> 00:13:25,359 connectivity and on bridging the gap 252 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:29,200 with developing countries that 253 00:13:29,210 --> 00:13:32,210 includes pledging to invest $75 billion 254 00:13:32,219 --> 00:13:35,400 in public and private funds for 255 00:13:35,409 --> 00:13:37,242 regional infrastructure that can 256 00:13:37,242 --> 00:13:39,409 weather the storms of climate change . 257 00:13:42,039 --> 00:13:44,261 And India took the helm of the G 20 and 258 00:13:44,261 --> 00:13:46,428 called on its members to work together 259 00:13:46,940 --> 00:13:48,890 to lift up the most vulnerable . 260 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:54,809 And for the first time India and 261 00:13:55,250 --> 00:13:58,349 ASEAN completed a new maritime exercise 262 00:13:58,359 --> 00:13:59,359 together . 263 00:14:02,820 --> 00:14:05,969 Last year , the Republic of Korea's 264 00:14:05,979 --> 00:14:09,719 Indo Pacific strategy declared that 265 00:14:09,729 --> 00:14:12,059 international norms and international 266 00:14:12,070 --> 00:14:15,130 order were keys to our shared security 267 00:14:15,140 --> 00:14:16,140 and prosperity . 268 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:21,929 Indonesia and Vietnam took bold steps 269 00:14:21,940 --> 00:14:23,979 toward resolving their maritime 270 00:14:24,150 --> 00:14:27,479 boundary dispute . And this is after 271 00:14:27,489 --> 00:14:30,119 12 hard years of negotiations 272 00:14:36,049 --> 00:14:38,105 and so around the region , countries 273 00:14:38,105 --> 00:14:40,105 are matching their words with their 274 00:14:40,109 --> 00:14:43,659 actions and they're insisting 275 00:14:43,669 --> 00:14:45,859 on resolving differences through 276 00:14:45,869 --> 00:14:49,039 dialogue and calling for even closer 277 00:14:49,049 --> 00:14:52,989 cooperation . And so are 278 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:56,880 we , as you 279 00:14:56,890 --> 00:14:59,960 may know , I had a brief 41 year career 280 00:14:59,969 --> 00:15:00,969 in the US army 281 00:15:03,830 --> 00:15:06,359 and I learned over and over again that 282 00:15:06,369 --> 00:15:08,536 alliances and partnerships make us all 283 00:15:08,536 --> 00:15:12,280 stronger . The United States is working 284 00:15:12,289 --> 00:15:14,456 together with our friends more closely 285 00:15:14,456 --> 00:15:17,909 every day . We're doubling down on our 286 00:15:17,919 --> 00:15:20,200 alliances and our partnerships 287 00:15:22,419 --> 00:15:25,270 in our national defense strategy calls 288 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:27,849 for us to work more closely with our 289 00:15:27,859 --> 00:15:30,130 allies and partners at every stage of 290 00:15:30,140 --> 00:15:31,418 the defense planning . 291 00:15:34,070 --> 00:15:37,250 And so that spirit of partnership drove 292 00:15:37,260 --> 00:15:39,700 our work together to help the region 293 00:15:39,710 --> 00:15:41,710 recover from the worst stage of the 294 00:15:41,710 --> 00:15:44,450 pandemic , including providing more 295 00:15:44,460 --> 00:15:48,419 than 360 million safe and effective 296 00:15:48,429 --> 00:15:52,390 vaccine doses . And 297 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:55,880 that same spirit will help us tackle 298 00:15:55,890 --> 00:15:57,779 other shared threats from climate 299 00:15:57,779 --> 00:16:00,130 change to nuclear proliferation . 300 00:16:03,369 --> 00:16:07,229 And so our shared goals are clear to 301 00:16:07,239 --> 00:16:09,950 deter aggression and to deepen the 302 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:12,640 rules and norms that promote prosperity 303 00:16:12,650 --> 00:16:16,570 and prevent conflict . So 304 00:16:16,580 --> 00:16:18,320 we're stepping up planning and 305 00:16:18,330 --> 00:16:20,274 coordination and training with our 306 00:16:20,274 --> 00:16:23,000 friends from the East China Sea to the 307 00:16:23,010 --> 00:16:25,121 South China Sea , to the Indian Ocean 308 00:16:28,179 --> 00:16:30,719 that includes staunch allies such as 309 00:16:30,729 --> 00:16:33,229 Australia , Japan 310 00:16:34,309 --> 00:16:37,429 Republic of Korea . The Philippines and 311 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:41,340 Thailand includes as 312 00:16:41,349 --> 00:16:44,409 well such valued partners as India , 313 00:16:45,260 --> 00:16:48,020 Indonesia , Vietnam , and clearly our 314 00:16:48,030 --> 00:16:50,099 host here today in Singapore 315 00:16:55,609 --> 00:16:59,130 consider the historic strides forward 316 00:16:59,140 --> 00:17:02,950 in the US Philippine alliance . As 317 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:05,016 you've heard , the United States and 318 00:17:05,020 --> 00:17:07,020 the Philippines recently designated 319 00:17:07,020 --> 00:17:09,750 four new locations under our enhanced 320 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:13,329 Defense Cooperation Agreement . And so 321 00:17:13,339 --> 00:17:16,880 this will let our forces work together 322 00:17:16,890 --> 00:17:19,859 to strengthen Philippines security to 323 00:17:19,869 --> 00:17:21,925 continue to modernize the Philippine 324 00:17:21,925 --> 00:17:24,680 military and to deliver humanitarian 325 00:17:24,689 --> 00:17:26,430 aid and disaster relief . 326 00:17:31,420 --> 00:17:34,540 We also recently completed the 327 00:17:34,550 --> 00:17:37,439 largest and most complex exercise 328 00:17:38,089 --> 00:17:41,479 Balaton ever more than 329 00:17:41,489 --> 00:17:44,689 17,000 troops participated and that's 330 00:17:44,699 --> 00:17:46,699 nearly twice as many as last year . 331 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:52,739 And for the first time , the 332 00:17:52,750 --> 00:17:56,569 exercise featured cyber elements , Mars 333 00:17:56,579 --> 00:17:59,810 rocket systems and patriot surface to 334 00:17:59,819 --> 00:18:00,790 air missiles . 335 00:18:03,790 --> 00:18:06,040 We're also standing with our Japanese 336 00:18:06,050 --> 00:18:08,609 allies as they make historic changes to 337 00:18:08,619 --> 00:18:10,563 their national security strategy . 338 00:18:12,530 --> 00:18:14,780 This will mean major new investments in 339 00:18:14,790 --> 00:18:17,260 Japan's defense including moves to 340 00:18:17,270 --> 00:18:19,270 develop a counter strike capability 341 00:18:21,109 --> 00:18:23,569 and we're upgrading our joint exercises 342 00:18:23,579 --> 00:18:26,920 like keen sword and resolute dragon to 343 00:18:26,930 --> 00:18:29,239 include more complex and realistic 344 00:18:29,250 --> 00:18:30,000 scenarios . 345 00:18:33,839 --> 00:18:37,569 We also salute the bold steps taken by 346 00:18:37,910 --> 00:18:40,469 Japan and the Republic of Korea to work 347 00:18:40,479 --> 00:18:44,079 more closely together . Strong 348 00:18:44,089 --> 00:18:47,420 ties between Tokyo and Seoul are good 349 00:18:47,430 --> 00:18:50,400 for both countries and for the region . 350 00:18:52,969 --> 00:18:55,080 We've made tremendous progress in our 351 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:58,400 own trilateral cooperation with Japan 352 00:18:58,410 --> 00:19:00,819 and the rok , including more regular 353 00:19:00,829 --> 00:19:02,770 military exercises and greater 354 00:19:02,780 --> 00:19:03,891 information sharing 355 00:19:12,300 --> 00:19:14,920 as North Korea continues its nuclear 356 00:19:14,930 --> 00:19:16,930 threats and missile tests and other 357 00:19:16,930 --> 00:19:19,560 dangerous provocations . We're deep , 358 00:19:19,780 --> 00:19:23,130 deepening our extended deterrence with 359 00:19:23,140 --> 00:19:25,660 our allies in the Republic of Korea 360 00:19:27,630 --> 00:19:29,797 that includes increased deployments of 361 00:19:29,797 --> 00:19:32,880 our most advanced assets and the 362 00:19:32,890 --> 00:19:35,729 historic Washington Declaration issued 363 00:19:35,739 --> 00:19:38,270 by President Biden and President 364 00:19:40,339 --> 00:19:42,560 and we're cooperating more deeply than 365 00:19:42,569 --> 00:19:45,020 ever with the rok on joint planning 366 00:19:45,030 --> 00:19:47,141 exercises and information sharing and 367 00:19:47,141 --> 00:19:50,579 more at the same time , 368 00:19:51,729 --> 00:19:54,579 we're working closely with our allies 369 00:19:54,770 --> 00:19:56,770 to upgrade our force posture in the 370 00:19:56,770 --> 00:20:00,599 region . We're making our presence 371 00:20:00,609 --> 00:20:04,520 more distributed , more agile and 372 00:20:04,530 --> 00:20:07,619 more resilient and that will bring 373 00:20:07,630 --> 00:20:10,650 greater stability and security to the 374 00:20:10,660 --> 00:20:14,410 region . So we're committed 375 00:20:14,420 --> 00:20:17,770 to ensuring that every country can 376 00:20:17,780 --> 00:20:21,119 fly and sail and 377 00:20:21,130 --> 00:20:24,410 operate wherever international law 378 00:20:24,420 --> 00:20:28,400 allows in every country , large and 379 00:20:28,410 --> 00:20:32,199 small must remain free to conduct 380 00:20:32,209 --> 00:20:34,199 lawful maritime activities . 381 00:20:36,199 --> 00:20:38,255 So we're modernizing our presence so 382 00:20:38,255 --> 00:20:40,349 that we can all continue to exercise 383 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:42,689 these rights each and every day 384 00:20:46,439 --> 00:20:50,170 we will forward station our 12th Marine 385 00:20:50,180 --> 00:20:52,520 Electoral regiment which is the most 386 00:20:52,530 --> 00:20:55,329 advanced formation in the United States 387 00:20:55,339 --> 00:20:59,229 Marine Corps in Japan by 2025 to 388 00:20:59,239 --> 00:21:01,300 deepen stability in the first island 389 00:21:01,310 --> 00:21:05,119 shape . We've 390 00:21:05,130 --> 00:21:07,186 committed to increase the rotational 391 00:21:07,186 --> 00:21:09,130 presence of us forces in Australia 392 00:21:09,939 --> 00:21:12,040 including rotations of fighters and 393 00:21:12,050 --> 00:21:15,750 bombers , task forces as well as 394 00:21:15,819 --> 00:21:18,310 future rotations of ground and maritime 395 00:21:18,319 --> 00:21:22,270 capabilities . We are also deeply 396 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:24,560 committed to ensuring that our allies 397 00:21:24,569 --> 00:21:27,709 and partners have the capabilities that 398 00:21:27,719 --> 00:21:31,589 they need to deter aggression and 399 00:21:31,599 --> 00:21:35,250 to increase stability . You see 400 00:21:36,020 --> 00:21:39,010 more capable allies and partners 401 00:21:39,020 --> 00:21:42,199 magnify all of our security . 402 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:46,547 So we're making extraordinary 403 00:21:46,547 --> 00:21:48,324 investments in our capabilities 404 00:21:48,324 --> 00:21:50,380 alongside our allies and partners to 405 00:21:50,380 --> 00:21:52,949 reinforce peace and prosperity in this 406 00:21:52,959 --> 00:21:53,959 region . 407 00:21:56,660 --> 00:21:59,479 President Biden's fiscal year 2024 408 00:21:59,489 --> 00:22:03,069 budget , its budget request 409 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:06,410 includes the largest procurement 410 00:22:06,420 --> 00:22:09,489 request in the history of the 411 00:22:09,500 --> 00:22:12,900 Department of Defense and the largest 412 00:22:12,910 --> 00:22:15,170 investment ever in research and 413 00:22:15,180 --> 00:22:18,890 development . His budget 414 00:22:18,900 --> 00:22:22,520 also includes a 40% increase over last 415 00:22:22,530 --> 00:22:24,869 year's requests for the Pacific 416 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:27,650 Deterrence initiative and that's an all 417 00:22:27,660 --> 00:22:30,810 time high of $9.1 billion . 418 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:35,696 We're making bold investments in air 419 00:22:35,696 --> 00:22:38,170 power including an additional $61 420 00:22:38,180 --> 00:22:41,890 billion for our F-35s and F-22s and 421 00:22:42,410 --> 00:22:44,560 un crewed aircraft and not to mention 422 00:22:45,130 --> 00:22:46,170 the B 21 radar . 423 00:22:50,819 --> 00:22:53,140 And we're investing in an expanded 424 00:22:53,150 --> 00:22:56,750 fleet of subs carriers and destroyers 425 00:22:57,770 --> 00:23:00,930 as well as in space and cyberspace 426 00:23:02,670 --> 00:23:04,400 and long range fires including 427 00:23:04,410 --> 00:23:05,410 hypersonic . 428 00:23:08,170 --> 00:23:11,699 And at every point we are committed 429 00:23:12,229 --> 00:23:14,599 to sharing the advances that we've made 430 00:23:14,609 --> 00:23:15,887 to help our partners . 431 00:23:18,849 --> 00:23:21,219 For example , our initiative on 432 00:23:21,930 --> 00:23:24,260 critical and emerging technology with 433 00:23:24,270 --> 00:23:28,260 India . Let's uh let's us explore 434 00:23:28,829 --> 00:23:31,800 new ways to cove key defense platforms 435 00:23:33,300 --> 00:23:35,244 with Japan . We're working closely 436 00:23:35,244 --> 00:23:37,430 together on un reed combat air systems 437 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:40,849 and counter hypersonic in air defense 438 00:23:40,859 --> 00:23:44,189 and missile defense technologies with 439 00:23:44,199 --> 00:23:46,319 the Philippines . We're negotiating a 440 00:23:46,329 --> 00:23:48,939 new security sector assistance road map 441 00:23:49,130 --> 00:23:51,959 that will bring our alliance into a new 442 00:23:51,969 --> 00:23:55,859 era . And 443 00:23:55,869 --> 00:23:58,640 through the historic Caucus partnership , 444 00:23:59,630 --> 00:24:02,589 we're cooperating with Australia and 445 00:24:02,599 --> 00:24:05,089 the UK on a range of path breaking 446 00:24:05,099 --> 00:24:08,689 capabilities . And of course , 447 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:11,327 earlier this year , we announced how a 448 00:24:11,327 --> 00:24:13,609 will deliver conventionally armed 449 00:24:14,270 --> 00:24:17,219 nuclear powered submarines to Australia 450 00:24:18,270 --> 00:24:20,920 all with the purpose of upholding peace 451 00:24:20,930 --> 00:24:21,930 and security . 452 00:24:25,209 --> 00:24:28,829 And just since 2020 we've invested 453 00:24:28,839 --> 00:24:32,390 nearly $1.2 billion in security 454 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:35,589 cooperation funding to ensure that Indo 455 00:24:35,599 --> 00:24:37,729 Pacific countries can detect malign 456 00:24:37,739 --> 00:24:40,270 actors and deter coercion . 457 00:24:45,540 --> 00:24:49,420 So America's partnerships are bringing 458 00:24:49,430 --> 00:24:52,469 the region closer together to help keep 459 00:24:52,479 --> 00:24:54,819 it free and open and secure . 460 00:24:56,859 --> 00:24:59,750 And you can see that in new , in new 461 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:03,670 forms of trilateral cooperation , the 462 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:05,902 United States , Australia and Japan are 463 00:25:05,902 --> 00:25:07,958 operating together more closely than 464 00:25:07,958 --> 00:25:10,329 ever and finding ways to enhance our 465 00:25:10,339 --> 00:25:12,459 science and technology cooperation . 466 00:25:14,579 --> 00:25:17,040 The United States , Japan and the rok 467 00:25:17,449 --> 00:25:19,616 are strengthening our interoperability 468 00:25:19,616 --> 00:25:21,560 and exploring ways to better share 469 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:23,727 information about missile threats from 470 00:25:23,727 --> 00:25:26,869 North Korea . And later today , 471 00:25:28,339 --> 00:25:30,450 I'll talk with my Australian Japanese 472 00:25:30,450 --> 00:25:32,910 and Philippine counterparts about 473 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:35,189 stronger cooperation , especially in 474 00:25:35,199 --> 00:25:36,421 the maritime domain . 475 00:25:40,020 --> 00:25:42,187 We've also made some important strides 476 00:25:42,187 --> 00:25:44,439 forward with Australia , India and 477 00:25:44,449 --> 00:25:48,359 Japan through the quad and the quad is 478 00:25:48,369 --> 00:25:50,560 strengthening its maritime cooperation 479 00:25:50,569 --> 00:25:53,040 in its work on humanitarian assistance 480 00:25:53,050 --> 00:25:54,272 and disaster relief . 481 00:25:57,260 --> 00:26:00,579 And all four quad partners will 482 00:26:00,589 --> 00:26:03,699 participate in exercise Malabar which 483 00:26:03,709 --> 00:26:05,560 will take place off the coast of 484 00:26:05,569 --> 00:26:07,569 Australia for the first time . This 485 00:26:07,569 --> 00:26:11,219 summer , many of the 486 00:26:11,229 --> 00:26:13,849 region's other top exercises are 487 00:26:13,859 --> 00:26:17,079 expanding as more countries come 488 00:26:17,089 --> 00:26:19,449 together around our shared principles , 489 00:26:19,459 --> 00:26:20,792 our shared principles . 490 00:26:23,959 --> 00:26:27,569 Last year , our annual Garuda Shield 491 00:26:29,849 --> 00:26:32,670 expanded from a bilateral exercise with 492 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:36,310 Indonesia to include 14 countries 493 00:26:36,530 --> 00:26:40,489 with more than 4000 troops . And 494 00:26:40,500 --> 00:26:44,290 this year , more than 19 flags 495 00:26:44,300 --> 00:26:47,599 will fly over Super Garuda Shield . 496 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:54,140 Next month exercise , Talisman Saber 497 00:26:54,579 --> 00:26:57,689 with Australia will bring 14 countries 498 00:26:57,699 --> 00:27:00,479 together . It will be the largest 499 00:27:00,489 --> 00:27:03,359 iteration ever with more than 30,000 500 00:27:03,369 --> 00:27:06,569 people participating , including a 501 00:27:06,709 --> 00:27:08,959 significant contingent from Japan . 502 00:27:12,689 --> 00:27:15,099 And it is yet another way that European 503 00:27:15,109 --> 00:27:17,220 countries like France and Germany and 504 00:27:17,220 --> 00:27:19,869 the UK are standing up for our shared 505 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:21,380 values in the Indo Pacific 506 00:27:24,189 --> 00:27:27,520 and so building nimble coalitions to 507 00:27:27,530 --> 00:27:29,689 advance our shared vision , makes the 508 00:27:29,699 --> 00:27:32,380 Indo Pacific more stable and more 509 00:27:32,390 --> 00:27:36,109 resilient United 510 00:27:36,119 --> 00:27:39,750 States is absolutely proud 511 00:27:41,099 --> 00:27:43,790 to expand our cooperation with ASEAN . 512 00:27:46,050 --> 00:27:48,161 We remain staunch supporters of ASEAN 513 00:27:48,161 --> 00:27:51,880 centrality and the ASEAN outlook on the 514 00:27:51,890 --> 00:27:55,310 Indo Pacific . And we stepped up our 515 00:27:55,319 --> 00:27:57,170 work through the ASEAN Defense 516 00:27:57,180 --> 00:27:59,770 Ministers meeting plus including new 517 00:27:59,780 --> 00:28:02,599 programs to support the next generation 518 00:28:02,780 --> 00:28:05,060 of Southeast Asian defense leaders . 519 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:10,859 We are also continuing to expand 520 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:14,780 our marquee maritime initiatives with 521 00:28:14,790 --> 00:28:18,339 the Quad . The Indo Pacific 522 00:28:18,349 --> 00:28:20,127 Partnership for Maritime Domain 523 00:28:20,127 --> 00:28:22,770 Awareness will help our partners across 524 00:28:22,780 --> 00:28:24,836 the region better monitor the waters 525 00:28:24,836 --> 00:28:27,550 near their shores and that will help 526 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:30,540 them combat illegal fishing and better 527 00:28:30,550 --> 00:28:32,530 respond to natural disasters . 528 00:28:34,489 --> 00:28:37,619 And finally , we're building important 529 00:28:37,630 --> 00:28:39,579 new ties in the Pacific Islands . 530 00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:43,742 We're working with our Pacific partners 531 00:28:43,742 --> 00:28:46,050 to combat illegal and unregulated and 532 00:28:46,060 --> 00:28:48,920 unreported fishing through more 533 00:28:48,930 --> 00:28:51,239 training and cooperation such as the US 534 00:28:51,250 --> 00:28:53,280 Coast Guard Ship Rider program . 535 00:28:56,270 --> 00:28:58,326 We're working together to strengthen 536 00:28:58,326 --> 00:29:00,719 maritime domain awareness and expand 537 00:29:00,729 --> 00:29:02,673 the capacity of our Pacific Island 538 00:29:02,673 --> 00:29:06,420 partners . We 539 00:29:06,430 --> 00:29:09,050 recently signed a historic defense 540 00:29:09,060 --> 00:29:11,640 cooperation agreement with Papua New 541 00:29:11,650 --> 00:29:15,239 Guinea . It will modernize our 542 00:29:15,250 --> 00:29:17,250 security cooperation and help us to 543 00:29:17,250 --> 00:29:20,060 provide humanitarian assistance and 544 00:29:20,069 --> 00:29:21,847 disaster relief in the region . 545 00:29:30,500 --> 00:29:33,079 And so , ladies and gentlemen , our 546 00:29:33,089 --> 00:29:37,040 work together has made this region 547 00:29:37,050 --> 00:29:40,869 stronger and safer . Now we 548 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:43,770 understand the headwinds that we face , 549 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:47,111 but we won't let those headwinds blow 550 00:29:47,111 --> 00:29:50,500 us off course we will continue to stand 551 00:29:50,510 --> 00:29:52,459 by our allies and partners as they 552 00:29:52,469 --> 00:29:56,390 uphold their rights . We will maintain 553 00:29:56,400 --> 00:29:58,869 our vigorous and responsible presence 554 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:02,410 across the Indo Pacific and we will 555 00:30:02,420 --> 00:30:04,880 continue to work to ensure that no one 556 00:30:04,890 --> 00:30:08,540 country can assert control over shared 557 00:30:08,550 --> 00:30:12,339 waterways in the South China 558 00:30:12,349 --> 00:30:14,571 Sea . We will continue to work with our 559 00:30:14,571 --> 00:30:16,460 allies and partners to uphold the 560 00:30:16,460 --> 00:30:18,627 freedom of navigation and overflight . 561 00:30:21,020 --> 00:30:23,839 And let me again underscore the 562 00:30:23,849 --> 00:30:27,140 importance of the 2016 ruling by the 563 00:30:27,150 --> 00:30:30,969 arbitral tribunal . It is legally 564 00:30:30,979 --> 00:30:33,030 binding and it is final . 565 00:30:35,829 --> 00:30:38,380 We won't be deterred by dangerous 566 00:30:38,390 --> 00:30:41,170 operational behavior at sea or in 567 00:30:41,180 --> 00:30:42,569 international airspace . 568 00:30:48,150 --> 00:30:49,872 The People's Republic of China 569 00:30:51,300 --> 00:30:54,069 continues to conduct an alarming number 570 00:30:54,079 --> 00:30:57,660 of risky intercepts of us , an allied 571 00:30:57,670 --> 00:30:59,310 aircraft flying lawfully in 572 00:30:59,319 --> 00:31:00,708 international airspace . 573 00:31:03,060 --> 00:31:06,250 We've all just seen another troubling 574 00:31:06,260 --> 00:31:09,410 case of aggressive and unprofessional 575 00:31:09,420 --> 00:31:13,069 flying by the PR C . So 576 00:31:13,790 --> 00:31:16,012 we will support our allies and partners 577 00:31:16,012 --> 00:31:17,901 as they defend themselves against 578 00:31:17,901 --> 00:31:21,439 coercion and bullying . To be 579 00:31:21,449 --> 00:31:24,530 clear , we do not seek conflict 580 00:31:25,579 --> 00:31:29,380 or confrontation but we will not flinch 581 00:31:29,390 --> 00:31:31,501 in the face of bullying or coercion . 582 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:37,290 Now , all of this is especially 583 00:31:37,300 --> 00:31:39,310 important in the Taiwan strait 584 00:31:44,050 --> 00:31:46,400 also like to be clear about another 585 00:31:46,410 --> 00:31:50,140 point . United States remains 586 00:31:50,150 --> 00:31:52,094 deeply committed to preserving the 587 00:31:52,094 --> 00:31:55,199 status quo in the straight , 588 00:31:56,089 --> 00:31:58,300 consistent with our long standing one 589 00:31:58,310 --> 00:32:01,109 China policy and with fulfilling our 590 00:32:01,119 --> 00:32:03,286 well established obligations under the 591 00:32:03,286 --> 00:32:06,869 Taiwan Relations Act . Our 592 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:10,459 policy is constant and firm . 593 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:13,630 It is held true across us 594 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:17,079 administrations and we will continue to 595 00:32:17,089 --> 00:32:20,410 categorically oppose unilateral changes 596 00:32:20,420 --> 00:32:22,476 to the status quo from either side . 597 00:32:25,369 --> 00:32:27,780 Also highlight that conflict is neither 598 00:32:27,790 --> 00:32:29,959 in imminent or inevitable 599 00:32:32,699 --> 00:32:35,729 deterrence is strong today . And it's 600 00:32:35,739 --> 00:32:37,406 our job to keep it that way . 601 00:32:41,040 --> 00:32:43,207 You know , the whole world has a stake 602 00:32:44,010 --> 00:32:46,130 in maintaining peace and stability in 603 00:32:46,140 --> 00:32:50,060 the Taiwan Strait , a whole world . The 604 00:32:50,069 --> 00:32:52,180 security of commercial shipping lanes 605 00:32:52,180 --> 00:32:54,469 and global supply chains depends on , 606 00:32:54,479 --> 00:32:57,869 depends on it . And so does freedom of 607 00:32:57,880 --> 00:33:00,760 navigation worldwide or white 608 00:33:02,719 --> 00:33:06,290 but make no mistake . Conflict 609 00:33:07,089 --> 00:33:09,589 in the Taiwan Strait would be 610 00:33:09,599 --> 00:33:10,599 devastating . 611 00:33:13,469 --> 00:33:16,959 So we are determined to maintain peace 612 00:33:16,969 --> 00:33:20,060 and stability across the Taiwan Strait . 613 00:33:22,589 --> 00:33:25,469 And so are a number of countries around 614 00:33:25,479 --> 00:33:27,535 other countries around the world and 615 00:33:27,535 --> 00:33:29,312 that number continues to grow . 616 00:33:30,140 --> 00:33:32,609 President Biden has been clear , the 617 00:33:32,619 --> 00:33:34,949 United States does not seek a new Cold 618 00:33:34,959 --> 00:33:38,680 War and competition must not spill over 619 00:33:38,689 --> 00:33:41,569 into conflict in the region 620 00:33:42,550 --> 00:33:44,599 should never be split into hostile 621 00:33:44,609 --> 00:33:48,439 blocks . Instead , we're working to 622 00:33:48,449 --> 00:33:50,393 strengthen the guard rails against 623 00:33:50,393 --> 00:33:53,430 conflict and to redouble our diplomacy 624 00:33:53,810 --> 00:33:56,900 and to bolster peace and security and 625 00:33:56,910 --> 00:33:58,354 stability in the region . 626 00:34:06,839 --> 00:34:10,060 United States believes that open lines 627 00:34:10,070 --> 00:34:13,850 of communication . The 628 00:34:13,860 --> 00:34:16,770 People's Republic of China are 629 00:34:16,780 --> 00:34:19,989 essential , especially between our 630 00:34:20,010 --> 00:34:23,449 defense and military leaders for 631 00:34:23,459 --> 00:34:25,681 responsible defense leaders . The right 632 00:34:25,681 --> 00:34:28,358 time to talk is any time , 633 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:33,449 the right time to talk is every time 634 00:34:35,260 --> 00:34:38,629 in the right time to talk . This now 635 00:34:42,510 --> 00:34:46,358 dialogue is not a reward , it 636 00:34:46,368 --> 00:34:50,059 is a necessity and a 637 00:34:50,069 --> 00:34:52,180 cordial handshake over dinner . Is no 638 00:34:52,180 --> 00:34:55,458 substitute for a substantive engagement . 639 00:34:58,070 --> 00:35:00,292 And the more that we talk , the more we 640 00:35:00,292 --> 00:35:02,292 can avoid the misunderstandings and 641 00:35:02,292 --> 00:35:04,237 miscalculations that could lead to 642 00:35:04,237 --> 00:35:05,500 crisis or conflict . 643 00:35:08,350 --> 00:35:11,310 You know , I am deeply concerned that 644 00:35:11,320 --> 00:35:13,590 the PRC has been unwilling to engage 645 00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:17,379 more seriously and better mechanisms , 646 00:35:17,389 --> 00:35:19,222 mechanisms for crisis management 647 00:35:20,100 --> 00:35:23,620 between our two militaries . But I hope 648 00:35:23,629 --> 00:35:27,399 that will change and soon I've 649 00:35:27,409 --> 00:35:31,280 said it before and I'll say it again . 650 00:35:36,439 --> 00:35:38,899 Great powers must be beacons of 651 00:35:38,909 --> 00:35:40,969 transparency and responsibility 652 00:35:42,919 --> 00:35:44,697 and the United States is deeply 653 00:35:44,697 --> 00:35:47,760 committed to doing our part . 654 00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:52,429 And we are determined to keep this 655 00:35:52,439 --> 00:35:56,090 region open , peaceful and 656 00:35:56,100 --> 00:35:57,100 prosperous . 657 00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:03,179 Ladies and gentlemen , the Indo Pacific 658 00:36:03,189 --> 00:36:05,356 has become an extraordinary example of 659 00:36:05,356 --> 00:36:07,989 human progress and peaceful cooperation . 660 00:36:09,590 --> 00:36:11,701 I'm proud to be here with you and the 661 00:36:11,701 --> 00:36:13,590 United States is proud to be your 662 00:36:13,590 --> 00:36:13,040 partner , 663 00:36:17,500 --> 00:36:21,459 as I said before , conflict and 664 00:36:21,469 --> 00:36:25,469 strife are not inevitable , but peace 665 00:36:25,479 --> 00:36:28,600 and security are not automatic . 666 00:36:33,810 --> 00:36:37,090 The region's growing openness and 667 00:36:37,100 --> 00:36:40,610 prosperity show the word uh the 668 00:36:40,620 --> 00:36:42,342 importance of working together 669 00:36:45,679 --> 00:36:47,846 and not allowing ourselves to be split 670 00:36:47,846 --> 00:36:47,790 apart . 671 00:36:52,020 --> 00:36:54,909 The people of the Indo Pacific have a 672 00:36:54,919 --> 00:36:57,060 wider view and a wider vision . 673 00:36:58,850 --> 00:37:01,017 So together we can deepen the region's 674 00:37:01,017 --> 00:37:04,899 security together , we can expand the 675 00:37:04,909 --> 00:37:08,209 circle of opportunity and 676 00:37:08,219 --> 00:37:10,830 together we can ensure that every 677 00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:14,610 citizen of this region as a chance to 678 00:37:14,620 --> 00:37:15,239 thrive . 679 00:37:18,840 --> 00:37:21,007 So let's continue to draw on the power 680 00:37:21,007 --> 00:37:25,000 of partnership . Let's continue 681 00:37:25,010 --> 00:37:27,066 to come together in common purpose . 682 00:37:28,909 --> 00:37:31,280 Let's continue to build a region 683 00:37:32,270 --> 00:37:36,229 prosperity and openness and 684 00:37:36,239 --> 00:37:39,419 freedom . It's a real pleasure to stand 685 00:37:39,429 --> 00:37:42,580 in your ranks . Thank you very much . I 686 00:37:42,590 --> 00:37:44,423 look forward to your questions , 687 00:37:56,399 --> 00:37:58,566 Mr Secretary . Thank you very much for 688 00:37:58,566 --> 00:38:01,889 that extremely compelling presentation . 689 00:38:01,899 --> 00:38:04,610 I think everyone will have marked down 690 00:38:04,620 --> 00:38:08,409 your note that the right time for 691 00:38:08,419 --> 00:38:11,570 talk is any time I was also struck by 692 00:38:11,580 --> 00:38:13,580 your phrase earlier in your remarks 693 00:38:13,580 --> 00:38:15,989 that the United States is seeking to 694 00:38:16,129 --> 00:38:19,449 modernize our presence so that we can 695 00:38:19,459 --> 00:38:22,820 exercise our rights . And it 696 00:38:23,310 --> 00:38:25,439 invited me to ask you if I can . The 697 00:38:25,449 --> 00:38:27,479 first question we've seen in the 698 00:38:27,489 --> 00:38:30,570 conflict in Ukraine , how quickly and 699 00:38:30,580 --> 00:38:33,300 imaginatively the forces of Ukraine 700 00:38:33,310 --> 00:38:35,088 have been able to incorporate a 701 00:38:35,088 --> 00:38:37,800 genuinely diverse range of technologies 702 00:38:37,810 --> 00:38:39,921 and systems , including some that are 703 00:38:39,921 --> 00:38:42,032 very modern . Can you say a few words 704 00:38:42,032 --> 00:38:43,643 about how you think emerging 705 00:38:43,643 --> 00:38:46,760 technologies A I quantum cyber uncowed 706 00:38:46,810 --> 00:38:49,040 vehicles and the like have a particular 707 00:38:49,050 --> 00:38:51,161 role in the mission of deterrence and 708 00:38:51,161 --> 00:38:54,120 defense in this theater . Well , thanks 709 00:38:54,129 --> 00:38:57,889 Sean . Um This is really important to 710 00:38:57,939 --> 00:38:59,883 us . You know , if you look at our 711 00:38:59,883 --> 00:39:03,610 national defense strategy , we talk 712 00:39:03,620 --> 00:39:06,389 about the importance of leveraging 713 00:39:06,929 --> 00:39:09,510 capability and capacity in all of the 714 00:39:09,520 --> 00:39:12,810 war fighting domains , land , 715 00:39:12,820 --> 00:39:16,790 air sea space , cyberspace . 716 00:39:19,310 --> 00:39:21,532 And so our task is to go after those uh 717 00:39:21,532 --> 00:39:24,729 those capabilities that support our war 718 00:39:24,739 --> 00:39:27,689 fighting concepts that enable us to be 719 00:39:27,699 --> 00:39:31,679 not only successful in deterring 720 00:39:31,689 --> 00:39:35,560 conflict , but also enable us to 721 00:39:35,570 --> 00:39:39,060 be dominant in any future contest . 722 00:39:39,919 --> 00:39:43,620 So as we go after those capabilities to 723 00:39:43,629 --> 00:39:45,629 support our war fighting concepts . 724 00:39:46,989 --> 00:39:50,469 We're looking to bring things together 725 00:39:50,479 --> 00:39:52,909 and synchronize them and network them 726 00:39:52,919 --> 00:39:56,360 in ways that we've not done before . So 727 00:39:56,370 --> 00:39:58,426 we're going after the capabilities , 728 00:39:58,426 --> 00:40:01,979 like you mentioned quantum computing 729 00:40:01,989 --> 00:40:05,209 edge computing , uh A I 730 00:40:05,219 --> 00:40:07,780 and uh and a number of other things . 731 00:40:08,969 --> 00:40:12,260 It's one thing to say that , but I 732 00:40:12,290 --> 00:40:14,290 think you have to make an effort to 733 00:40:14,909 --> 00:40:17,159 invest in the right kinds of things and 734 00:40:17,169 --> 00:40:19,225 align your budget to , to match what 735 00:40:19,225 --> 00:40:21,169 your strategy is . So we , we went 736 00:40:21,169 --> 00:40:23,336 through great pains to link our budget 737 00:40:23,336 --> 00:40:25,570 request to our strategy line by line 738 00:40:25,580 --> 00:40:27,469 almost . And it's the best , it's 739 00:40:27,469 --> 00:40:29,636 probably the best I've ever seen . I , 740 00:40:29,636 --> 00:40:32,040 I applaud my uh the , the staff that , 741 00:40:32,050 --> 00:40:34,328 that really did a tremendous job there . 742 00:40:35,780 --> 00:40:39,419 So it's one thing to 743 00:40:39,429 --> 00:40:43,290 even when you get the capabilities . Um 744 00:40:43,909 --> 00:40:46,179 you , you have to make sure that you've 745 00:40:46,189 --> 00:40:49,030 organized your organization uh to be 746 00:40:49,040 --> 00:40:52,080 able to manage those things . And then 747 00:40:52,090 --> 00:40:54,257 you have to drive yourself , drive the 748 00:40:54,257 --> 00:40:56,780 organization to success . I made a 749 00:40:56,790 --> 00:41:00,739 change to uh to our staff . I created a 750 00:41:01,489 --> 00:41:03,939 position um 751 00:41:05,020 --> 00:41:08,510 that uh that oversees the uh uh 752 00:41:08,590 --> 00:41:12,090 the integration of uh di our 753 00:41:12,100 --> 00:41:15,070 digital uh work . And also a I , so I 754 00:41:15,080 --> 00:41:17,979 have a Chief digital and A I officer 755 00:41:17,989 --> 00:41:20,045 that uh is really doing a phenomenal 756 00:41:20,045 --> 00:41:22,267 job of aligning the organization across 757 00:41:22,270 --> 00:41:24,570 the , across the board . So getting the 758 00:41:24,580 --> 00:41:26,636 capabilities is one thing , but then 759 00:41:26,636 --> 00:41:28,580 you got to organize and you got to 760 00:41:28,580 --> 00:41:30,747 drive to uh to create the capabilities 761 00:41:30,747 --> 00:41:32,858 that we're all looking for . And then 762 00:41:32,858 --> 00:41:35,024 you have to work with industry . And I 763 00:41:35,024 --> 00:41:37,024 know there are a number of industry 764 00:41:37,024 --> 00:41:39,080 leaders in this crowd and we make an 765 00:41:39,080 --> 00:41:41,136 effort , I make an effort to talk to 766 00:41:41,136 --> 00:41:43,302 industry leadership to tell them where 767 00:41:43,302 --> 00:41:45,489 we want to go , what our needs are . 768 00:41:45,510 --> 00:41:48,469 And uh you know , how we intend to 769 00:41:48,479 --> 00:41:50,810 employ the capabilities that we're 770 00:41:50,820 --> 00:41:54,070 asking for . And I would say that the 771 00:41:54,080 --> 00:41:57,000 United States , our industrial base is 772 00:41:57,010 --> 00:41:59,590 really one of our strategic advantages . 773 00:42:00,810 --> 00:42:02,699 But you know , unless we're 774 00:42:02,709 --> 00:42:04,598 communicating the right things to 775 00:42:04,598 --> 00:42:07,530 industry , uh we won't be where we need 776 00:42:07,540 --> 00:42:10,030 to be in the long term . So that 777 00:42:10,040 --> 00:42:12,096 remains a work in progress . But the 778 00:42:12,096 --> 00:42:14,096 kinds of things that you're talking 779 00:42:14,096 --> 00:42:16,151 about in terms of technology are the 780 00:42:16,151 --> 00:42:18,040 kinds of things that will help us 781 00:42:18,040 --> 00:42:19,929 maintain a competitive edge going 782 00:42:19,929 --> 00:42:22,096 forward . It is very important to us . 783 00:42:22,096 --> 00:42:24,151 It is fundamental to our , our , our 784 00:42:24,151 --> 00:42:26,262 national defense strategy and again , 785 00:42:26,262 --> 00:42:28,318 and this is something that we remain 786 00:42:28,318 --> 00:42:30,484 sighted on each and every day . Well , 787 00:42:30,484 --> 00:42:29,905 thank you very much . I'll take it with 788 00:42:29,915 --> 00:42:31,915 your permission about three or four 789 00:42:31,915 --> 00:42:34,544 from the floor . Don't worry about 790 00:42:34,554 --> 00:42:36,498 joining late . I don't necessarily 791 00:42:36,498 --> 00:42:38,832 respect an absolute order of precedence . 792 00:42:38,832 --> 00:42:41,165 So I'll call on four or five people 1st . 793 00:42:41,165 --> 00:42:42,776 1st , you mentioned sect the 794 00:42:42,776 --> 00:42:44,832 Philippines . So Jeffrey or from the 795 00:42:44,832 --> 00:42:48,090 Philippines first . Hi , thank you . Um 796 00:42:48,389 --> 00:42:50,699 So according to the 2022 report to 797 00:42:50,709 --> 00:42:52,876 Congress released by your department , 798 00:42:52,876 --> 00:42:55,098 sir . Uh If China continues the pace of 799 00:42:55,098 --> 00:42:57,265 its nuclear expansion , it will likely 800 00:42:57,265 --> 00:42:59,840 field a stockpile of about 1500 801 00:42:59,850 --> 00:43:02,017 warheads . And that's significant . Uh 802 00:43:02,017 --> 00:43:04,580 given that the limit , legal limit to 803 00:43:04,590 --> 00:43:06,909 the US uh operational deployed nuclear 804 00:43:06,919 --> 00:43:09,086 warheads under the new start agreement 805 00:43:09,086 --> 00:43:11,594 is about 1500 . Um And so that means 806 00:43:11,604 --> 00:43:14,215 China will achieve nuclear parity with 807 00:43:14,225 --> 00:43:16,475 the United States in about 15 years . 808 00:43:16,544 --> 00:43:18,433 Uh My question is , are there any 809 00:43:18,433 --> 00:43:21,155 updates on us efforts to push for some 810 00:43:21,165 --> 00:43:23,498 sort of an arms control deal with China ? 811 00:43:23,498 --> 00:43:25,915 And are your Asian allies involved in 812 00:43:25,925 --> 00:43:28,036 uh in that kind of discussion ? Thank 813 00:43:28,036 --> 00:43:31,530 you . Let me begin this by saying 814 00:43:31,540 --> 00:43:35,500 we are serious about our commitment to 815 00:43:35,510 --> 00:43:39,020 extended deterrence and I have spoken 816 00:43:39,030 --> 00:43:41,030 with our allies and partners in the 817 00:43:41,030 --> 00:43:43,250 room a number of times on this 818 00:43:43,260 --> 00:43:45,719 particular issue and you should know 819 00:43:45,729 --> 00:43:47,785 that the President United States and 820 00:43:47,785 --> 00:43:49,896 all of us are very serious about this 821 00:43:49,896 --> 00:43:52,419 commitment , but in terms of specific 822 00:43:52,429 --> 00:43:55,540 updates on uh engagements with uh uh 823 00:43:55,550 --> 00:43:59,260 with uh the PR C on arms control . Uh 824 00:43:59,270 --> 00:44:01,381 No , I don't have any updates for you 825 00:44:01,381 --> 00:44:03,603 there . You got to talk to them first . 826 00:44:03,603 --> 00:44:05,714 So as soon as they answer the phone , 827 00:44:05,714 --> 00:44:05,580 maybe we'll , we'll get some work done 828 00:44:05,590 --> 00:44:08,370 here from the United States Bonny 829 00:44:08,379 --> 00:44:12,340 Glazer . Thank 830 00:44:12,350 --> 00:44:16,030 you , John Secretary Austin , 831 00:44:16,040 --> 00:44:17,909 senior Chinese officials are 832 00:44:17,919 --> 00:44:19,641 communicating to their foreign 833 00:44:19,641 --> 00:44:22,030 counterparts that the United States is 834 00:44:22,040 --> 00:44:24,629 seeking to goad China into using force 835 00:44:24,639 --> 00:44:27,389 against Taiwan . This is reminiscent of 836 00:44:27,399 --> 00:44:30,620 the October surprise in 2020 when China 837 00:44:30,629 --> 00:44:32,851 seemed convinced that the United States 838 00:44:32,851 --> 00:44:34,962 was trying to precipitate a crisis in 839 00:44:34,962 --> 00:44:36,870 the South China Sea . So I agree 840 00:44:36,879 --> 00:44:39,310 dialogue especially purposeful dialogue 841 00:44:39,320 --> 00:44:41,459 is essential . If you had the 842 00:44:41,469 --> 00:44:43,949 opportunity to meet with General Lee , 843 00:44:43,959 --> 00:44:45,792 what would you tell him about us 844 00:44:45,792 --> 00:44:47,681 objectives in the Taiwan Strait ? 845 00:44:47,681 --> 00:44:49,848 Beyond the fact that the United States 846 00:44:49,848 --> 00:44:52,015 supports maintenance of the status quo 847 00:44:52,015 --> 00:44:55,280 and opposes use of force . Well , 848 00:44:55,290 --> 00:44:57,346 thanks for the question . Let me say 849 00:44:57,346 --> 00:45:00,280 upfront that I respectfully disagree 850 00:45:00,290 --> 00:45:02,346 with the premise of the question and 851 00:45:02,346 --> 00:45:04,457 that we are trying to go China into a 852 00:45:04,457 --> 00:45:07,139 conflict . In fact , in fact , just the 853 00:45:07,149 --> 00:45:11,000 opposite . Uh we are doing everything 854 00:45:11,010 --> 00:45:13,179 in our power to make sure that we 855 00:45:13,189 --> 00:45:16,090 maintain a free and open Indo Pacific . 856 00:45:16,340 --> 00:45:19,540 Uh because as I said earlier , uh in my 857 00:45:19,550 --> 00:45:22,350 remarks , this is important to all of 858 00:45:22,360 --> 00:45:26,129 us in this region . Um in , in terms 859 00:45:26,139 --> 00:45:30,040 of , you know , what I would say to uh 860 00:45:30,050 --> 00:45:32,479 to my counterpart . Well , you know , I 861 00:45:32,489 --> 00:45:36,159 again , with respect to Taiwan , 862 00:45:36,290 --> 00:45:38,457 it's the same thing that I said to him 863 00:45:38,457 --> 00:45:40,550 the last time and that is our policy 864 00:45:40,560 --> 00:45:43,620 has not changed , changed . And uh and 865 00:45:43,629 --> 00:45:46,899 we do not seek , we do not desire to 866 00:45:46,909 --> 00:45:49,850 see a , a change , a unilateral change 867 00:45:49,860 --> 00:45:53,290 by , by any party . And so , um you 868 00:45:53,300 --> 00:45:55,467 know , any kind of disagreements ought 869 00:45:55,467 --> 00:45:57,633 to be resolved through diplomacy . And 870 00:45:57,633 --> 00:45:59,578 again , it's important to maintain 871 00:45:59,578 --> 00:46:01,800 peace and stability in this region . As 872 00:46:01,800 --> 00:46:03,911 I mentioned earlier , conflict in the 873 00:46:03,911 --> 00:46:06,379 straits would affect the global economy 874 00:46:06,469 --> 00:46:09,979 in ways that we cannot imagine . But 875 00:46:09,989 --> 00:46:12,219 thanks for the question . So then from 876 00:46:12,229 --> 00:46:16,000 China Xi Jiang , thank you , Doctor 877 00:46:16,010 --> 00:46:18,560 Chipman . Good morning , Mr Secretary . 878 00:46:18,989 --> 00:46:21,379 The theme of our plenary session here 879 00:46:21,389 --> 00:46:25,179 is us leadership but how to play the 880 00:46:25,189 --> 00:46:28,530 role of leadership . On one hand , you 881 00:46:28,540 --> 00:46:30,820 claim to support the centrality of 882 00:46:30,830 --> 00:46:33,419 ASEAN in the region . On the other hand , 883 00:46:33,429 --> 00:46:35,370 the US established multilateral 884 00:46:35,379 --> 00:46:39,310 institutions such as Court and 00 . Is 885 00:46:39,320 --> 00:46:42,649 there any contradiction between us led 886 00:46:42,659 --> 00:46:45,379 in institutions and the centrality of 887 00:46:45,409 --> 00:46:48,879 ASEAN in the region ? How to guarantee 888 00:46:48,889 --> 00:46:51,199 ASEAN centrality ? Thank you . 889 00:46:54,060 --> 00:46:56,227 I don't think I got the entire gist of 890 00:46:56,227 --> 00:46:58,393 the question . But uh it , I , I think 891 00:46:58,393 --> 00:47:01,330 your question was centered on August in 892 00:47:01,709 --> 00:47:03,800 whether or not that either that 893 00:47:03,810 --> 00:47:06,070 promotes security and stability in the 894 00:47:06,080 --> 00:47:09,649 region or drives us to , to 895 00:47:09,659 --> 00:47:13,080 conflict , it absolutely promotes 896 00:47:13,090 --> 00:47:16,459 greater stability and security . Uh 897 00:47:16,469 --> 00:47:19,879 It provides uh a valued 898 00:47:20,340 --> 00:47:24,139 and highly capable uh ally with 899 00:47:24,149 --> 00:47:26,371 additional capability that I think will 900 00:47:26,371 --> 00:47:29,320 be a generational capability . Uh And , 901 00:47:29,330 --> 00:47:32,439 and so , uh I am confident that this 902 00:47:32,449 --> 00:47:34,879 will , this will add greater stability 903 00:47:34,889 --> 00:47:36,899 and security for this region . I am 904 00:47:36,909 --> 00:47:39,131 proud of the work that we're doing with 905 00:47:39,131 --> 00:47:42,739 a and I , I know my good friends , uh 906 00:47:42,750 --> 00:47:45,479 um my colleagues from 907 00:47:46,110 --> 00:47:48,110 Australia and the UK are here and I 908 00:47:48,110 --> 00:47:49,999 look forward to having additional 909 00:47:49,999 --> 00:47:52,166 discussions with them uh about , about 910 00:47:52,166 --> 00:47:54,939 Aus and uh updating our progress . But 911 00:47:54,949 --> 00:47:57,879 I , I think this will add significantly 912 00:47:57,889 --> 00:47:59,945 to our efforts to maintain peace and 913 00:47:59,945 --> 00:48:01,889 stability in the region . And from 914 00:48:01,889 --> 00:48:05,629 Vietnam , uh Thank you , 915 00:48:05,639 --> 00:48:08,290 Doctor Chipman , uh uh secretary . Uh 916 00:48:08,300 --> 00:48:11,149 So , uh you mentioned Vietnam is one of 917 00:48:11,159 --> 00:48:13,215 the important partners of the United 918 00:48:13,215 --> 00:48:15,750 States uh in this region . So , so I 919 00:48:15,760 --> 00:48:18,310 wonder whether , you know , uh I think 920 00:48:18,320 --> 00:48:20,320 that it says a lot about the United 921 00:48:20,320 --> 00:48:22,149 States respect uh the different 922 00:48:22,159 --> 00:48:24,199 political system of Vietnam . So I 923 00:48:24,209 --> 00:48:26,370 wonder whether you agree that being a 924 00:48:26,379 --> 00:48:28,601 Communist is not a problem being that , 925 00:48:28,750 --> 00:48:31,419 but being a revisionist may be another 926 00:48:31,429 --> 00:48:35,260 issue , things so kind of 927 00:48:35,270 --> 00:48:37,649 differentiate between a Communist state 928 00:48:37,659 --> 00:48:39,209 and a revisionist state . 929 00:48:45,620 --> 00:48:47,676 I heard you say being a Communist is 930 00:48:47,676 --> 00:48:51,310 not a problem but being a 931 00:48:51,320 --> 00:48:53,919 revolutionary is an issue . But hey , 932 00:48:53,929 --> 00:48:56,110 listen , uh we , we don't , 933 00:48:58,149 --> 00:49:00,189 we are focused on what you heard me 934 00:49:00,199 --> 00:49:02,310 talk about earlier and that is making 935 00:49:02,310 --> 00:49:05,659 sure that we maintain peace , security 936 00:49:05,669 --> 00:49:07,669 and stability in this region and we 937 00:49:07,669 --> 00:49:11,419 maintain access to um international 938 00:49:11,429 --> 00:49:14,870 airways and waterways . We don't in our 939 00:49:14,879 --> 00:49:16,879 partnerships and our alliances . We 940 00:49:16,879 --> 00:49:19,101 don't ask people to choose or countries 941 00:49:19,101 --> 00:49:21,320 to choose between us and another 942 00:49:21,330 --> 00:49:23,790 country . We don't ask country and 943 00:49:23,800 --> 00:49:26,133 impose our will on countries . You know , 944 00:49:26,133 --> 00:49:28,356 again , we want to work on those things 945 00:49:28,356 --> 00:49:30,469 that are , that are common of common 946 00:49:30,479 --> 00:49:33,050 interest to all of us to both of us . 947 00:49:33,510 --> 00:49:36,120 So I'll leave it at that 948 00:49:37,149 --> 00:49:41,000 from France Francois . Thank you 949 00:49:41,010 --> 00:49:43,389 very much . Uh for your statements and 950 00:49:43,399 --> 00:49:46,429 for recalling also the uh the role uh 951 00:49:46,439 --> 00:49:49,479 which some of your European partners 952 00:49:49,639 --> 00:49:52,310 are playing in the region . Er , you 953 00:49:52,320 --> 00:49:56,189 emphasized er , that , er , you are in 954 00:49:56,199 --> 00:49:59,719 favor of the status quo on Taiwan 955 00:50:00,060 --> 00:50:03,189 and that conflict was neither imminent 956 00:50:03,199 --> 00:50:06,070 nor inevitable . Uh Those are obviously 957 00:50:06,080 --> 00:50:09,219 very welcome statements yet . We have 958 00:50:09,229 --> 00:50:11,285 been hearing over the last couple of 959 00:50:11,285 --> 00:50:14,879 years , a number of active duty , high 960 00:50:14,889 --> 00:50:18,379 ranking American officers uh actually 961 00:50:18,389 --> 00:50:21,300 talk about imminence 2025 962 00:50:21,530 --> 00:50:25,010 2027 being the most frequently 963 00:50:25,020 --> 00:50:28,689 cited dates . Are we going to continue 964 00:50:28,699 --> 00:50:31,209 uh to hear active duty , high ranking 965 00:50:31,219 --> 00:50:35,159 American officers uh take that line or 966 00:50:35,169 --> 00:50:37,169 will there be as we would put it in 967 00:50:37,169 --> 00:50:41,139 French ? Uh uh silence in 968 00:50:41,149 --> 00:50:41,949 the ranks . 969 00:50:46,649 --> 00:50:49,239 First of all , I believe what they are 970 00:50:49,250 --> 00:50:52,510 pointing to in some cases is the fact 971 00:50:52,520 --> 00:50:54,800 that President Xi challenged his 972 00:50:54,810 --> 00:50:58,129 military to develop the capabilities to 973 00:50:58,139 --> 00:51:01,139 conduct military operations by 2027 . 974 00:51:01,580 --> 00:51:03,413 It doesn't mean that he's made a 975 00:51:03,413 --> 00:51:06,030 decision to do that . Um 976 00:51:08,899 --> 00:51:11,639 in terms of whether or not our officers , 977 00:51:11,989 --> 00:51:13,933 you know what they will say in the 978 00:51:13,933 --> 00:51:16,045 future , they have the ability to say 979 00:51:16,045 --> 00:51:18,211 what , what they're thinking . And you 980 00:51:18,211 --> 00:51:20,510 know , we always welcome that . But my 981 00:51:20,520 --> 00:51:24,290 opinion is that a 982 00:51:24,300 --> 00:51:28,030 conflict is neither imminent or it 983 00:51:28,040 --> 00:51:31,479 or is it inevitable ? And so uh we're 984 00:51:31,489 --> 00:51:33,711 gonna do everything we can to make sure 985 00:51:33,711 --> 00:51:35,767 that we're doing the right things to 986 00:51:35,767 --> 00:51:39,300 maintain the status quo but you know , 987 00:51:39,310 --> 00:51:42,620 the way that you deter uh any uh 988 00:51:42,979 --> 00:51:46,189 misguided uh decision is by having a 989 00:51:46,199 --> 00:51:49,989 combat credible military and we have 990 00:51:50,000 --> 00:51:52,056 one and we will continue to have one 991 00:51:52,330 --> 00:51:54,489 and our officers are in charge of 992 00:51:54,500 --> 00:51:56,840 maintaining that combat credible force . 993 00:51:57,060 --> 00:51:59,282 I have to remain focused on making sure 994 00:51:59,282 --> 00:52:01,520 that they are ready to address any 995 00:52:01,530 --> 00:52:05,340 situation or circumstance . I know my 996 00:52:05,719 --> 00:52:07,775 indo paycom commander is in the room 997 00:52:07,775 --> 00:52:09,719 somewhere and he'd be the first to 998 00:52:09,719 --> 00:52:11,719 stand up and tell you boss , you've 999 00:52:11,719 --> 00:52:13,886 charged me to do that . And by golly , 1000 00:52:13,886 --> 00:52:15,997 I am going to be ready no matter what 1001 00:52:15,997 --> 00:52:18,275 happens , that's what I want him to do . 1002 00:52:18,275 --> 00:52:20,386 But again , I don't think that that a 1003 00:52:20,386 --> 00:52:22,497 conflict is inevitable nor do I think 1004 00:52:22,497 --> 00:52:25,060 at this point that it's imminent and 1005 00:52:25,070 --> 00:52:28,949 from the Netherlands and the Secretary 1006 00:52:28,959 --> 00:52:31,580 of Defense , you made mention to the UK , 1007 00:52:31,590 --> 00:52:34,169 Germany and France in the Indo Pacific . 1008 00:52:34,179 --> 00:52:36,500 I wanted to ask , how important is it 1009 00:52:36,510 --> 00:52:38,454 for the United States for European 1010 00:52:38,454 --> 00:52:40,566 countries to be engaged militarily in 1011 00:52:40,566 --> 00:52:41,621 the Indo Pacific ? 1012 00:52:44,760 --> 00:52:47,000 How important is it for European 1013 00:52:47,010 --> 00:52:49,570 militaries to be engaged militarily in 1014 00:52:49,580 --> 00:52:52,449 the Indo Pacific ? How does it add 1015 00:52:52,459 --> 00:52:54,929 value to the effort I think is the , 1016 00:52:56,139 --> 00:52:58,306 the first thing I'll tell you is we're 1017 00:52:58,306 --> 00:53:00,417 not trying to create uh a NATO in the 1018 00:53:00,417 --> 00:53:02,429 Indo Pacific . And I , we have AAA 1019 00:53:02,439 --> 00:53:05,370 number of colleagues here today from uh 1020 00:53:05,379 --> 00:53:07,840 uh from , from Europe and I'm really 1021 00:53:07,850 --> 00:53:10,017 glad to see them here because they all 1022 00:53:10,017 --> 00:53:12,479 have interests in this region . Uh and 1023 00:53:12,489 --> 00:53:14,899 those interests uh are not just 1024 00:53:14,909 --> 00:53:17,076 military , they , they're , you know , 1025 00:53:17,076 --> 00:53:19,969 they cover uh whole of government . And , 1026 00:53:19,979 --> 00:53:23,439 and so , uh they would tell you that 1027 00:53:23,449 --> 00:53:25,449 they have an interest in the region 1028 00:53:25,449 --> 00:53:27,505 because of all the great things that 1029 00:53:27,505 --> 00:53:29,459 happen here . And Prime Minister 1030 00:53:29,469 --> 00:53:31,919 Albanese talked about some of those 1031 00:53:31,929 --> 00:53:33,985 things yesterday , the rate at which 1032 00:53:33,985 --> 00:53:36,207 this region is growing , you know , the 1033 00:53:36,207 --> 00:53:38,207 capability , the capacity that this 1034 00:53:38,207 --> 00:53:40,340 region has . It is , it is rightful 1035 00:53:40,350 --> 00:53:44,030 that that European countries 1036 00:53:44,229 --> 00:53:47,879 would remain interested in making 1037 00:53:47,889 --> 00:53:50,310 sure that we have good relationships 1038 00:53:50,320 --> 00:53:52,542 with the countries here in the region . 1039 00:53:52,542 --> 00:53:54,431 And I'm confident that that's why 1040 00:53:54,431 --> 00:53:56,431 they're here , but they'll probably 1041 00:53:56,431 --> 00:53:58,598 tell you themselves because you'll see 1042 00:53:58,598 --> 00:53:58,090 you'll interact with them later on in 1043 00:53:58,100 --> 00:54:00,211 today . Absolutely . Right . And from 1044 00:54:00,211 --> 00:54:03,500 Indonesia , Deri Fortuna Anwar , thank 1045 00:54:03,510 --> 00:54:06,209 you John . Uh I'd like to ask about the , 1046 00:54:06,219 --> 00:54:08,760 the relations between the court and 1047 00:54:09,080 --> 00:54:11,270 ASEAN uh as , as you know , uh the uh 1048 00:54:11,280 --> 00:54:13,336 secretary , as you know , there have 1049 00:54:13,336 --> 00:54:16,469 been a lot of uh initial and concern 1050 00:54:16,479 --> 00:54:18,459 that the court may undermine ASEAN 1051 00:54:18,469 --> 00:54:21,209 centrality . But I'm very happy to hear 1052 00:54:21,219 --> 00:54:23,441 again that , you know , the uh you have 1053 00:54:23,441 --> 00:54:25,608 stress again the ASEAN centrality . Uh 1054 00:54:25,608 --> 00:54:27,870 And recently President Widodo actually 1055 00:54:27,879 --> 00:54:30,101 said that , you know , co and ASEAN are 1056 00:54:30,101 --> 00:54:32,323 not competitors , they are , they could 1057 00:54:32,323 --> 00:54:34,546 be partners . Now , I like to tease out 1058 00:54:34,546 --> 00:54:37,290 more . Do you envisage a quad ASEAN as 1059 00:54:37,300 --> 00:54:39,411 an institution , cooperation or is it 1060 00:54:39,411 --> 00:54:42,719 the quad and individual ASEAN countries 1061 00:54:42,729 --> 00:54:44,840 cooperation . Given the fact that all 1062 00:54:44,840 --> 00:54:46,951 co countries are also a member of the 1063 00:54:46,951 --> 00:54:49,173 East Asia submit . So what would be the 1064 00:54:49,173 --> 00:54:51,451 format of such cooperation ? Thank you . 1065 00:54:51,830 --> 00:54:53,719 I think it's a question about the 1066 00:54:53,719 --> 00:54:55,800 complex Rubik's cube of the regional 1067 00:54:55,810 --> 00:54:57,810 architecture in this region and how 1068 00:54:57,810 --> 00:54:59,977 each of these different mini , lateral 1069 00:54:59,977 --> 00:55:01,588 and established multilateral 1070 00:55:01,588 --> 00:55:03,659 arrangements interconnect . 1071 00:55:07,070 --> 00:55:08,889 Well , you know , I I think uh 1072 00:55:12,820 --> 00:55:15,629 we , we should take what we have and 1073 00:55:15,639 --> 00:55:17,695 which , which is what we've done and 1074 00:55:17,695 --> 00:55:19,861 what we've continued to do in terms of 1075 00:55:19,861 --> 00:55:22,449 bilateral trilateral and multilateral 1076 00:55:22,459 --> 00:55:25,429 uh um alliances and 1077 00:55:25,439 --> 00:55:28,790 partnerships and , and build on those 1078 00:55:28,800 --> 00:55:31,209 uh incrementally . Again , I don't 1079 00:55:31,219 --> 00:55:33,739 think we should , we should uh drive 1080 00:55:33,750 --> 00:55:37,110 things uh to uh to go in one direction 1081 00:55:37,120 --> 00:55:39,342 or another . We're not trying to create 1082 00:55:39,342 --> 00:55:43,100 uh a NATO uh in the Indo Pacific . We 1083 00:55:43,110 --> 00:55:45,629 value our relationships with our , with 1084 00:55:45,639 --> 00:55:48,620 our allies and partners and each of our 1085 00:55:48,629 --> 00:55:50,879 allies and partners has uh I mean , 1086 00:55:50,889 --> 00:55:52,667 they , they have their own self 1087 00:55:52,667 --> 00:55:55,629 interest and uh and we understand that 1088 00:55:55,639 --> 00:55:57,639 and we want to make sure that we're 1089 00:55:57,639 --> 00:55:59,590 helping them protect their self 1090 00:55:59,600 --> 00:56:02,409 interest and that they when possible 1091 00:56:02,419 --> 00:56:04,363 are working with us and with other 1092 00:56:04,363 --> 00:56:06,860 countries to provide for a free and 1093 00:56:06,870 --> 00:56:09,850 open Indo Pacific . Great . So I'm 1094 00:56:09,860 --> 00:56:12,027 gonna take two questions in succession 1095 00:56:12,027 --> 00:56:14,249 and let the secretary then answer those 1096 00:56:14,249 --> 00:56:16,249 and we'll conclude the session with 1097 00:56:16,249 --> 00:56:18,527 that . My first of this duet is Sharon . 1098 00:56:20,840 --> 00:56:24,189 Um Yes , sir . My question is um on 1099 00:56:24,350 --> 00:56:26,449 USA through this partnership and 1100 00:56:26,459 --> 00:56:29,550 cooperation is pushing us United States 1101 00:56:29,560 --> 00:56:32,959 agenda into for smaller island states . 1102 00:56:32,969 --> 00:56:35,136 Example , in the Solomon Islands , the 1103 00:56:35,136 --> 00:56:37,689 US was absent for over 20 plus years 1104 00:56:37,699 --> 00:56:39,750 and only because of its diplomatic 1105 00:56:39,760 --> 00:56:41,979 switch to China , they've reopened 1106 00:56:41,989 --> 00:56:44,629 their embassy last year . So to this 1107 00:56:44,639 --> 00:56:46,750 cooperation , you've mentioned allies 1108 00:56:46,750 --> 00:56:48,861 and partners . But is it another form 1109 00:56:48,861 --> 00:56:50,899 of pushing , pushing usa agendas , 1110 00:56:50,909 --> 00:56:53,020 especially for smaller island states 1111 00:56:53,030 --> 00:56:55,379 who don't have a leverage when coming 1112 00:56:55,389 --> 00:56:57,445 to interacting with the developer or 1113 00:56:57,445 --> 00:57:00,000 bigger countries ? Thank you very much . 1114 00:57:00,010 --> 00:57:02,066 He's got that on small island states 1115 00:57:02,066 --> 00:57:05,610 and their place in us engagement in the 1116 00:57:05,620 --> 00:57:07,676 region and from Ireland but also the 1117 00:57:07,679 --> 00:57:11,629 financial times Dmitry . Uh Thank 1118 00:57:11,639 --> 00:57:13,917 you and also a very small island state . 1119 00:57:14,090 --> 00:57:18,030 Um a good morning , you've 1120 00:57:18,040 --> 00:57:20,040 made a lot of progress , creating a 1121 00:57:20,040 --> 00:57:22,096 more lasses security architecture in 1122 00:57:22,096 --> 00:57:24,040 the in the Pacific . But one thing 1123 00:57:24,040 --> 00:57:26,262 that's missing is joint operational war 1124 00:57:26,262 --> 00:57:28,429 plans with allies , particularly Japan 1125 00:57:28,429 --> 00:57:30,596 and Australia for Taiwan contingency . 1126 00:57:30,596 --> 00:57:32,596 So my question is how urgent is the 1127 00:57:32,596 --> 00:57:34,651 need for joint operational war plans 1128 00:57:34,651 --> 00:57:36,762 and how hard is it proving to develop 1129 00:57:36,762 --> 00:57:36,129 them 1130 00:57:41,850 --> 00:57:44,800 on the issue of the importance of small 1131 00:57:44,810 --> 00:57:48,399 island states ? Clearly they are 1132 00:57:48,409 --> 00:57:51,520 important . And I think , you know that 1133 00:57:51,530 --> 00:57:55,500 for many of the small island states , 1134 00:57:55,510 --> 00:57:59,280 we've had relationships that go 1135 00:57:59,290 --> 00:58:02,290 back for decades and we value and 1136 00:58:02,300 --> 00:58:04,800 treasure those relationships . And if 1137 00:58:04,810 --> 00:58:08,330 you look at the number of people in 1138 00:58:08,340 --> 00:58:10,507 some of those states that serve in the 1139 00:58:10,507 --> 00:58:12,618 United States military , it really is 1140 00:58:12,618 --> 00:58:14,673 impressive . So we want to make sure 1141 00:58:14,673 --> 00:58:16,618 that we continue to build on those 1142 00:58:16,618 --> 00:58:19,699 relationships uh and continue to 1143 00:58:19,709 --> 00:58:22,199 account for uh your needs and your 1144 00:58:22,209 --> 00:58:24,431 concerns . And that you , most recently 1145 00:58:24,431 --> 00:58:26,320 you saw that the president held a 1146 00:58:26,320 --> 00:58:28,709 summit where he had Pacific Islander uh 1147 00:58:28,719 --> 00:58:31,340 leadership uh into the White House . 1148 00:58:31,350 --> 00:58:33,350 And uh and it was uh it was a great 1149 00:58:33,350 --> 00:58:35,709 event and this and I can tell you 1150 00:58:35,719 --> 00:58:37,941 firsthand that this is really important 1151 00:58:37,941 --> 00:58:41,540 to him . Uh on the issue of joint 1152 00:58:41,550 --> 00:58:44,419 operational war plans , you probably 1153 00:58:44,429 --> 00:58:46,596 know that I'm not going to discuss any 1154 00:58:46,596 --> 00:58:48,707 kind of war plan in a forum like this 1155 00:58:48,707 --> 00:58:50,762 and what we're doing and not doing . 1156 00:58:50,762 --> 00:58:52,762 But what I will tell you is that uh 1157 00:58:52,762 --> 00:58:56,300 it's important to work 1158 00:58:56,310 --> 00:58:58,899 hard to increase our interoperability . 1159 00:58:59,709 --> 00:59:03,229 Um Now it's , 1160 00:59:03,979 --> 00:59:06,201 you know , it's important to have where 1161 00:59:06,201 --> 00:59:09,760 possible compatible platforms . Um 1162 00:59:10,580 --> 00:59:12,802 It's really important to make sure that 1163 00:59:12,802 --> 00:59:15,250 you have uh you know , policies and 1164 00:59:15,260 --> 00:59:18,149 procedures that serve you well and that , 1165 00:59:18,159 --> 00:59:20,381 you know , your , your , your allies or 1166 00:59:20,381 --> 00:59:22,520 partners understand . Uh and are 1167 00:59:22,530 --> 00:59:26,419 familiar with what , what happens 1168 00:59:26,429 --> 00:59:28,596 when you work together as a joint or a 1169 00:59:28,596 --> 00:59:31,800 combined force . Uh is that uh you , 1170 00:59:31,810 --> 00:59:34,810 you continue to build trust among your 1171 00:59:34,820 --> 00:59:36,840 forces and the forces that , that 1172 00:59:36,850 --> 00:59:39,072 you're working with . And at the end of 1173 00:59:39,072 --> 00:59:41,520 the day , you can't surge trust , you 1174 00:59:41,530 --> 00:59:43,850 know , it's got to be there uh upfront . 1175 00:59:44,600 --> 00:59:46,822 And so I'm proud of the work that we're 1176 00:59:46,822 --> 00:59:48,933 doing to increase interoperability in 1177 00:59:48,933 --> 00:59:51,639 the region that interoperability will 1178 00:59:51,649 --> 00:59:53,830 serve us well , no matter what 1179 00:59:53,840 --> 00:59:57,260 challenge presents itself , we have 1180 00:59:57,270 --> 00:59:59,489 come a long way , but we are by no 1181 00:59:59,500 --> 01:00:02,739 means where any of us want to be 1182 01:00:02,750 --> 01:00:05,290 eventually . So we'll continue to work 1183 01:00:05,300 --> 01:00:07,800 on that and for all of you that have 1184 01:00:08,510 --> 01:00:11,909 provided opportunities for my troops to 1185 01:00:11,919 --> 01:00:13,863 work with your troops . Let me say 1186 01:00:13,863 --> 01:00:16,179 thanks again , I cannot tell you how 1187 01:00:16,189 --> 01:00:18,850 important that is terms of specific 1188 01:00:18,860 --> 01:00:21,027 plans . Again , we don't discuss plans 1189 01:00:21,409 --> 01:00:25,139 in , in public forums , but I will 1190 01:00:25,149 --> 01:00:27,149 assure you that we will continue to 1191 01:00:27,149 --> 01:00:29,316 work with our allies to make sure that 1192 01:00:29,316 --> 01:00:31,520 we we think about and account for our 1193 01:00:31,530 --> 01:00:33,752 future contingencies . John , thanks so 1194 01:00:33,752 --> 01:00:36,199 much for allowing me to be here and I 1195 01:00:36,209 --> 01:00:37,931 guess we'll leave it at that . 1196 01:00:37,931 --> 01:00:39,987 Absolutely . Since it's 9 30 it just 1197 01:00:39,987 --> 01:00:42,153 hit 9 31 . So I want to thank you very 1198 01:00:42,153 --> 01:00:44,320 much for your presentation . I want to 1199 01:00:44,320 --> 01:00:46,320 ask everybody in the room to do two 1200 01:00:46,320 --> 01:00:48,487 things first , stay seated because the 1201 01:00:48,487 --> 01:00:50,320 second plenary will start almost 1202 01:00:50,320 --> 01:00:50,159 immediately as soon as our next three 1203 01:00:50,169 --> 01:00:52,870 speakers are mic up . And secondly , 1204 01:00:52,879 --> 01:00:55,046 and importantly to thank the Secretary 1205 01:00:55,046 --> 01:00:57,268 of Defense for his presentation and the 1206 01:00:57,268 --> 01:00:57,429 conversation he's animated .