Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said under the umbrella of its Indo-Pacific Strategy, the US is seen being guiding its alliances to contain or encircle China as a rising power.
“The US-China rivalry has radiated into all areas, including defence, trade, investments and technology. The existing international system is therefore challenged by the loose coalition led by China and Russia, while Western democracies are trying to defend it,” he said.
“In response, Asian countries and regional groupings have developed their own strategies and outlooks on the Indo-Pacific to accommodate these two [competing] visions. In June 2019, ASEAN adopted the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP),” he added.
Phea said this outlook takes ASEAN centrality as the key underlying principle for the promotion of cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region; with ASEAN-led mechanisms, such as the East Asia Summit (EAS), serving as platforms for dialogue and the implementation of Indo-Pacific cooperation.
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US, NATO aiming to militarise Asia Pacific region, says Russia – Khmer Times (khmertimeskh.com)