As the American minister noted, this region is a priority for the United States, and he had already visited it earlier this month.
“It is obvious that China is pursuing an intentional strategy to undermine the stability of the region,” RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.
According to him, the United States intends to continue to expand its defense activities in the region and close cooperation with allies and partners.
Esper previously opposed the dominance of China in the Indo-Pacific region.