The United States is moving forward with its strategy to counter China in the Indo-Pacific region. To solidify relations with its Southeast Asian partners, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis embarked to the Indo-Pacific maritime region Jan. 21 for a weeklong trip, during which he has spent most of his time in Indonesia and Vietnam. He'll also make a stop in Hawaii, where he'll meet with his South Korean counterpart. There have been doubts among some Southeast Asian countries about Washington's commitment to the region, and some loose regional alignments have emerged as a result. Mattis' trip -- which comes just after Washington released its new Defense Strategy that calls China, along with Russia, a "strategic competitor" to the United States -- is meant to assuage the doubts and reinforce U.S. standing in the region....
