US army chief and allies discuss Asia-Pacific in India

US army chief and allies discuss Asia-Pacific in India
by AFP Staff Writers
New Delhi (AFP) Sept 26, 2023

Army chiefs and senior officers from 30 countries including the United States met in India Tuesday to discuss threats facing the Asia-Pacific region, in the face of concern at an increasingly assertive China.

US Army chief Randy George said the region was “critically important”, speaking to reporters alongside his Indian counterpart Manoj Pande, and vowed to boost cooperation to “maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific”.

Generals from Japan and Australia, which make up the “Quad” defence cooperation forum alongside Washington and New Delhi, also took part, as did Britain and France.

As the generals met, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing would oppose the “wanton expansion of military alliances”, the latest in a string of warnings as Washington deepens security ties in the Asia-Pacific.

Beijing has long said that any effort to establish a NATO-like military alliance in the Asia-Pacific would provoke conflict.

Nations present at the two-day conference in New Delhi included Vietnam and the Philippines, both of which have longstanding pending territorial disputes with China.

The conference, which launched in 1999, brings together army chiefs and top officers from 30 countries.

India’s Pande said the region faced challenges on both land and at sea.

“These range from territorial disputes over land masses, or in some cases, even over artificially expanded islands to acquire real estate and establish military bases,” Pande added, in an indirect reference to China.

India has also had to balance its traditional alliance with Russia — the provider of most of its arms imports, and now a source of cut-price oil — with growing ties to Washington.

“The partnership between India and the US armies is vital for stability in the region, and the relationship between our armies is strong and growing stronger,” George said.

Related Links

Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com

RELATED CONTENT

The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.

Milley: America’s ‘lightning rod’ top officer
Washington (AFP) Sept 25, 2023

General Mark Milley faced repeated crises at home and abroad during a tumultuous term as America’s top military officer, becoming one of the most well-known and controversial people to hold the position in years.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Donald Trump’s refusal to accept his presidential election loss and nationwide protests against police brutality are just some of the events that defined his time as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which ends Friday. … read more

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2023 – Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled “by Staff Writers” include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report’s information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : IndoDaily – https://www.spacewar.com/reports/US_army_chief_and_allies_discuss_Asia-Pacific_in_India_999.html