U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper revealed a fresh drive to strengthen U.S. alliances with “like-minded democracies” in part through arms sales in an effort to curb the global influence of Russia and China.
Mr. Esper said the Pentagon would systematically monitor and manage its relationships with partner countries, aiming to find ways to coordinate militaries and to advance U.S. arms sales.
The initiative, called the Guidance for Development for Alliances and Partnerships (GDAP), comes just two weeks before the presidential election that, if President Donald Trump loses, could see Mr. Esper replaced in January.
He underscored the need to build closer ties to “like-minded democracies such as India and Indonesia” adding “they all recognise what China is doing.”
Global order
It also came after nearly four years of Mr. Trump’s efforts to restructure alliances, including threatening NATO.
“America’s network of allies and partners provides us an asymmetric advantage our adversaries cannot match,” Mr. Esper said on Tuesday, calling the network “the backbone of the international rules-based order.”
“China and Russia probably have fewer than 10 allies combined,” he added.
He said China uses coercion and financial entrapment to build its alliances with weak countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos. “The smaller the nation and the greater its needs, the heavier the pressure from Beijing,” he said.
He cited visits he has made to build defence relations with Malta, Mongolia and Palau, as well as U.S. plans for a greater presence in Eastern Europe, including basing troops in Poland.
