Representative Gregory W Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, led a bipartisan call for Trump to attend the Quad Summit in India, the East Asia Summit in Malaysia and APEC in South Korea, saying it would demonstrate US leadership and prevent China’s “aggressive” influence in the region. The letter also highlighted the strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific.
Speaking of the Indo-Pacific region, the letter states that it is vital to America’s security and prosperity and remains at the center of our strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The letter to Trump said the Quad partnership with India, Australia and Japan serves as a cornerstone for advancing common interests in the Indo-Pacific.
The letter added that these forums are also key to reaffirming America’s central role in global trade and attracting greater foreign investment. “Just as importantly, these forums provide opportunities to reaffirm that America remains at the center of global trade and attract more foreign direct investment.”
“As Beijing aggressively expands its influence in the region, your personal participation in three critical multilateral summits this fall is essential to demonstrate US leadership and counter PRC ambitions,” the lawmakers said in the letter. Also read | ‘100% tariffs on China are not sustainable’: Trump
The letter goes on to say that China is the most serious geopolitical challenge to America since the Cold War. “The PRC is our most serious geopolitical challenge since the Cold War, and nowhere is this rivalry sharper than in the Indo-Pacific.”
“In recent months, Beijing has escalated military pressure, economic pressure and diplomatic engagement in the region. President Xi Jinping has sought to demonstrate China’s military and diplomatic might to the world, while at the same time declaring that China will lead the international and regional order,” it said.
“Your participation in these summits would be a strong response to Xi’s diplomatic campaign to reassure allies and reaffirm US leadership in the region,” the lawmakers said. “Your presence and voice demonstrate America’s continued commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. We urge you to announce your decision to attend these summits as soon as possible.”
The co-signatories were Young Kim and Ami Bera, Chair and Assessment Member of the Subcommittee for East Asia and the Pacific, and Bill Huizenga and Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Chair and Assessment Member of the South and Central Asia Subcommittee.
