Two senior US officials from Washington DC yesterday reaffirmed the North American superpower's economic and military commitments in Thailand and Asean amid China's growing influence with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its increasing aggressiveness in the South China Sea.
Felter: Praise for 'shared values'
"The United States is absolutely unwavering to the commitment of the US-Thai alliance," US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia Joseph Felter told reporters in Bangkok following the annual Asean Defence Senior Officials' Meeting in Hua Hin yesterday.
"We have shared values and interests as two democracies with a pure vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific where all countries, large and small, are protected by a rules-based order."
The US currently has over 130 military exercise activities with its Thai counterparts, including Cobra Gold and Cope Tiger, with over US$460 million (about 15 billion baht) invested in four military bases since 2014 here.
"Overall, the health of the US-Thailand military to military relationship is great where it is written in history but it is also forward leading and ready to address the emerging threats in the region and beyond together," Mr Felter added.
Regarding latest development in the South China Sea and the presence of around 200 Chinese boats near the disputed Thitu Island close to the Philippines, Mr Felter says that Washington's alliance with Manila is "unwavering as well" and they are alarmed "by any aggressive activity from any country within the South China Sea, in this case, China".
"We do not recognise the various claims within the South China Sea … but it this case, China's activities are of concern as they seem to be somewhat aggressive and provocative and we feel that they are unnecessary and unwanted," he explained after the meeting.
Another senior US officer, Eric Jones, chief-of-staff for the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation (Opic) has revealed his agency's intentions to increase US government investment within the Indo-Pacific region.
"We have always looked at Thailand as a great partner and we are excited to continue that work with the newly elected government," he said.
Opic's mission is to mobilise capital towards development projects and initiatives through three different components including debt financing, with a portfolio of $24 billion where about $4 billion is set aside for the Indo-Pacific region.
Last year they deployed around $3.5 billion in the Indo-Pacific with a goal of $1 billion investment for Asia this year and they are "on pace to do that", Mr Jones said.
As for the election in Thailand, Mr Jones said the US "hopes for a transparent process" when the official results are released.
"From the military perspective, we have a close alliance that will continue and we are looking forward to working with the newly elected government and maybe some of the changes that may come with that," he said.
Mr Felter, however, noted China's utilisation of the BRI to increase its influences across the region is of "concern" such as what happened in Sri Lanka where the country had no choice but to lease Hambantota Port to a Chinese firm in a 99-year debt-for-equity swap.
"We are looking at what happened in Sri Lanka, Pakistan and certainly what happened in the South China Sea with their militarisation features there, but to stick with the BRI … they are imposing debt burden on countries where they do this debt-for-equity swap and it appears to us that it is undermining some states' sovereignty and we hope that going forward it will be more fair and transparent in the interest of the target countries," he concluded.