“We firmly believe that no single power can and should not dominate in the Indo-Pacific region, we are working together with our allies and partners on pressing security issues in the region,” Esper said in an interview with Interfax.
He stressed that Washington is opposed to China’s “aggressive and destabilizing” behavior, which manifests itself in a high militarization and “predatory” economy.
“This includes a high degree of militarization, the use of a predatory economy and debts for sovereignty transactions, as well as the promotion of state-sponsored embezzlement of other countries’ intellectual property, ”the US Secretary of Defense said.
Earlier, Esper warned of a “growing threat” from Russia and China.
He also spoke in favor of the early deployment of medium-range missiles in Asia after the United States withdrew from the INF range.