Asia-Pacific? Think Indo-Pacific, says the US, as it pursues a wider Asian strategy
2017-11-08 09:57:04 source：The Straits Times
November 8, 2017
WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump is just a few days into his first trip to Asia, but is already making waves with his administration's wide use of the term "Indo-Pacific" on what is essentially an Asia-Pacific trip.
The idea of the Indo-Pacific is hardly new - in 2013, then Indonesian foreign minister Marty Natalegawa, and Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh referred to it, and Australia used it in a defence White Paper. But it has been mentioned repeatedly by the US government in recent months.
Mr Trump, on his longest foreign trip to date as President, visiting Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, said yesterday at a press conference in Seoul: "Our alliance is more important than ever to peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and across the Indo-Pacific region."
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