US officials hype Japan-ROK-US Camp David visit: ‘Defining trilateral relationship’

US officials hype Japan-ROK-US Camp David visit: ‘Defining trilateral relationship’
US officials hype Japan-ROK-US Camp David visit: ‘Defining trilateral relationship’

“We’re going to invest in technology to have a three-way hotline for the leaders and others inside their governments to communicate,” among other announcements to come Friday, said a top NSC official.

New Zealand in AUKUS? The political Kiwi conundrum over Pillar 2 membership

New Zealand in AUKUS? The political Kiwi conundrum over Pillar 2 membership
New Zealand in AUKUS? The political Kiwi conundrum over Pillar 2 membership

Among the political elite in Wellington, there is disagreement about the value of New Zealand joining this element of the partnership — disagreement that could end any realistic chances of New Zealand becoming the fourth member of AUKUS.

New info on AUKUS sub deal ‘shortly’: NSC’s Kurt Campbell

New info on AUKUS sub deal ‘shortly’: NSC’s Kurt Campbell
New info on AUKUS sub deal ‘shortly’: NSC’s Kurt Campbell

Campbell, the NSC’s coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs, said the US will launch a new effort next week to help the Pacific islands, including initiatives to build new embassies.

Red line or no, secrecy over China-Solomon Islands pact piques US suspicion

Red line or no, secrecy over China-Solomon Islands pact piques US suspicion
Red line or no, secrecy over China-Solomon Islands pact piques US suspicion

Stopping short of saying “red line,” a senior State Department official said a US delegation warned the Solomon Islands about a US response should China attempt to have a “de facto” military presence there.

Australia, US grapple with Solomon Islands tilt to China

Australia, US grapple with Solomon Islands tilt to China
Australia, US grapple with Solomon Islands tilt to China

The White House announced that Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of State for east Asian and Pacific affairs, and Kurt Campbell, the National Security Council’s Indo-Pacific Coordinator, will lead an interagency delegation to the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

‘Almost a melding’ of US, UK, Aussie services coming: NSC’s Kurt Campbell

‘Almost a melding’ of US, UK, Aussie services coming: NSC’s Kurt Campbell
‘Almost a melding’ of US, UK, Aussie services coming: NSC’s Kurt Campbell

The context for President Biden’s almost four-hour discussion Monday night with President Xi Jinpeng, Kurt Campbell said, is “that the United States is here to stay in the Indo-Pacific, and we’re going to defend and support the operating system that has been so good for so many of us for many years.”

Beijing Summit: Xi Changes Tactics, Not Strategy

Beijing Summit: Xi Changes Tactics, Not Strategy
Beijing Summit: Xi Changes Tactics, Not Strategy

WASHINGTON: New agreements between the US and China will reduce the risks of accidental war in the western Pacific. That’s good news — but don’t imagine for a minute that it changes the fundamentals of the competition. Chinese president Xi Jinping’s summit deals with President Obama and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe represent Xi’s tactical…

Pacific Strategy Is Sunk If We Can’t Solve Fiscal Crisis: State Dept Official

WASHINGTON: There’s an increasing consensus in Washington that America’s future lies in the Pacific. It’s one of the few things both parties can agree on. Unfortunately, if we can’t reach an agreement to get our fiscal house in order, the governments in the Asia-Pacific region will have every reason not to take our strategy seriously.…

Ex-DUSD Flournoy & Ex-Comptroller Zakheim Debate Budget, US Role In World

WASHINGTON: The United States is still the world’s indispensable nation and we’ll probably avoid sequestration, albeit by the skin of our teeth. That’s the modestly reassuring message from the unlikely duo of Michèle Flournoy, who recently left her job as under secretary of defense for policy, and Dov Zakheim, Pentagon comptroller under George W. Bush.…

US-China Ties ‘Much More Challenging” Than We Had With Soviets

WASHINGTON: The State Department’s top official dealing with Asia says the American relationship with China is “much more challenging, much more complicated than the one we had with the Soviet Union.” Speaking at a conference hosted by the Center for a New American Security, Kurt Campbell, assistant Secretary of State for east Asian and Pacific…