US desperate to boost presence in region

The US-ASEAN maritime exercise that started on Monday is the first joint naval drill between the United States and the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. However, the multilateral drill has raised speculation over US involvement in Southeast Asia despite the negotiations between China and some ASEAN members such as Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam making good progress toward resolving their territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Since the White House seems determined to push ahead with its so-called Indo-Pacific strategy, the US administration has made desperate efforts to expand its influence and boost its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region by strengthening its ties with regional allies and promising to safeguard the security of other countries.

The US-ASEAN naval drill, which the US claims is aimed at "maintaining maritime security and preempting wrongdoings in the sea", is part of Washington's policy to advance its Indo-Pacific strategy and strengthen its presence in Southeast Asia.