Quick take on @VP Pence speech at APEC: Strong affirmation of America’s enduring commitment to Indo-Pacific. But US resources and policy still not well aligned with strategy. On the positive side: new deliverables on smart cities, digital infrastructure, development finance... 1/
regional transparency initiative and Manus military base. These — along with existing progress on BUILD and infrastructure partnerships — point to whole-of-government strategy edging in right direction. On negative side: uncompromising rhetoric on bilateral trade focus... 2/
..., no acknowledgement of region’s preference and need for multilateral trade, uncompromising on tariff war, and muted on climate change action. Plus, insufficient on development aid, foreign military finance, and security assistance. Finally, while Pence did well to... 3/
strike a balanced position on China — combining resolve, inclusivity and sensitivity to regional anxieties about spiraling conflict — he wasn’t in a position to allay strategists’ concerns about American global military power. As this week’s NDS Commission report makes clear...4/
