The United States seeks trade “partnership, not domination” in the Indo-Pacific region, according to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Mr Pompeo made the comments in Washington DC at the US Chamber of Commerce's Indo-Pacific Forum, where he also announced $113 million for new technology, energy, infrastructure initiatives in the region.
It comes despite US President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal just three days after moving into the White House, and his pursuit of a trade conflict with China threatening to disrupt regional supply chains.
“I want everyone to understand something … a free and open Indo-Pacific is America's chosen course,” Mr Pompeo told the forum.
“Our country fought for its own independence from an empire that expected deference,” he said. “Thus, we will never seek domination in the Indo-Pacific and we will oppose any country that does.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed the US Chamber of Commerce's Indo-Pacific Forum. Source: AAP
“We aspire to a regional order, where independent nations can defend their people and compete fairly in the international marketplace.”
Mr Pompeo will depart later this week on a trip to Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia to hammer home the Trump administration's commitment to the region, and also press for denuclearisation in North Korea.
The trip comes at a time of tension with Beijing over its moves to assert sovereignty over disputed areas of the South China Sea, which Mr Pompeo alluded to in the speech.
Other key members of the Trump administration, including Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Energy Secretary Rick Perry also addressed the forum.
Representing Australia was Deputy Head of Mission at the Australian Embassy in Washington DC, Katrina Cooper.
Tadashi Maeda (CEO of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation), Ashok Kumar Mirpuri, (Ambassador of Singapore to the US) and Navtej Sarna (Ambassador of India to the US) were also present.
Mr Pompeo told Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop and Defence Minister Marise Payne the US-Australia economic relationship was "unrivalled in the world" at the annual AUSMIN meetings last week.
“Make no mistake about it … the economic relationship between our two countries is strong," he said.
Australia has managed to circumvent Donald Trump's steel and aluminium tariffs placed on other US allies.
Mr Pompeo said it is in the US’s strategic interest to deepen engagement in the Indo-Pacific.
The US Chamber of Commerce website claims Asian economies are projected to create 50 percent of global GDP in the coming decades.
To realise that potential, it says, countries in the area will need to attract nearly 35 trillion Australian dollars (26 trillion USD) in capital to fund energy and infrastructure needs.
The State Department said Mr Pompeo will expand on the "free and open" theme at an annual meeting in Singapore with foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
His first stop on the August 1-5 trip will be in Malaysia, where a historic opposition victory in May elections returned former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad to power, and resulted in the release from prison of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.
The 92-year-old Mahathir has promised to turn over the reins to Anwar within two years.
Citing "our strongly shared democratic values," the State Department said Mr Pompeo will hold talks with senior Malaysian government officials on security and economic interests during the visit to Kuala Lumpur Thursday and Friday.
From Kuala Lumpur, Mr Pompeo will travel to Singapore for the ASEAN meeting, set for Friday and Saturday.
"The secretary will discuss our shared commitment to the final, fully verified denuclearization of the DPRK, upholding the rules-based order in the South China Sea, and countering terrorism," the State Department said.
It did not say whether he will meet with his North Korean counterpart to discuss the implementation of the commitments US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made at their June 12 summit.
His last stop will be in Jakarta, where he will seek to "reinforce the US-Indonesia Strategic Partnership as we look ahead to celebrating 70 years of bilateral diplomatic relations in 2019," the State Department said.
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