Pacific Perspective:AUSMIN Focused on Containing China,Part 1

Joint Statement on Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) 2024:Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III hosted Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Richard Marles on 06 AUG 2024 in Annapolis,Maryland to strengthen further the U.S.-Australian Alliance and the two countries' cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and globally.The Secretaries and Ministers (principals) reaffirmed the U.S.-Australia Alliance is essential to promoting a prosperous and peaceful region.The principals expressed the importance of history and values shared by the United States and Australia and renewed their commitment to support a stable and open international system that protects each nation's ability to make sovereign decisions free from coercion or threats of force.* The principals welcomed action by both governments that build upon the commitments made during the visit of Prime Minister Albanese in the United States and his meeting with President Biden in October 2023 across the full spectrum of the bilateral relationship,to build an "Innovation Alliance."These include 1.Australia's endorsement of the United States' Framework to Counter Foreign State Misinformation Manipulation through a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)...2.Continued progress by the Australia-U.S. Crtical Minerals Task Force (CMTF) to persue secure and diverse critical mineral supply chains,increase investment in mining and processing projects in our respective countries and enhance market transparency.*Delivering for the Indo-Pacific:The principals committed to strengthen cooperation further,bilaterally and with regional Partners and institutions;to ensure an Indo-Pacific that is open,stable,peaceful and prosperous;that promotes and protects human rights and that is respectful of sovereignty and international law...The principals stressed the need for all countries to manage strategic competition responsibly and to work to reduce risks of conflict.They emphasised the importance of maintaining open channels with China to avoid miscommunication or miscalculation that could lead to unintended escalation or conflict.The principals ecouraged China to engage constructively and take steps to promote stability and transparency...The principles underscored the importance of all states being free to exercise rights and freedom consistent with international law as consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),including freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea.They reiterated their strong oppositon to destabilising or coercive unilateral actions in the maritime domain,including in the South China Sea and the East China Sea,that increase tensions and undermine peace and stability.*The principals expressed concern about China's excessive maritime claims in the South China Sea that are inconsistent with international law and unilateral actions to change the status quo by force or coercion.They noted grave concern about China's dangerous and escalating behaviour toward Philippines vessels lawfully operating in the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).The principals reaffirmed the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award as final and binding on all parties and reconfirmed their resolve to work with Partners to support regional maritime security and uphold international law.*

NATO Secretary General with the 🇺🇸 US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken 08 FEB 2023

Coast Guard District 14:A Vast Expanse Governed by International Law

Among areas where the US Coast Guard is stretched thin is District 14,which encompasses some 12.2 million square miles of ocean.The service is expected to carry out all of its 11 statutory missions in the District,which has two sectors,Honolulu and Guam.The District goes well south of the equator to all the Pacific Island nations of Oceania,and north to the Northern Marianas.
Rear Admiral Charles W. Ray is Commander,District 14.He said we work closely with allied nations and with all the Pacific Island nations.We are no different from the Marine Corps and the Navy in that we are held hostage by the distance and the time required to operate in the Pacific.
We think the Law of the Sea convention is very important for our nation,and especially important for the Coast Guard for multiple reasons.The Coast Guard relies upon international agreements of all sorts to do our duty.We do law enforcement,search and rescue,and all the other things we do based on either bilateral or multinational agreements.All these are based on international law,which has its framework from the Law of the Sea.
When we get to these sticking points,with contested fishing rights,contested continental shelf up in the Arctic,we don't have much of a leg to stand on if we're not party to the main agreement everybody else in the world agrees to,Admiral Ray complained.
Alone among the world powers,the US has failed to ratify the Law of the Sea convention,a fact regarded with chagrin by the State Department and all the US armed forces chiefs,as well as US multinational corporations.They feel we are at a long term competitive disadvantage because of the US Senate's inability to get the job done and approve the Law of the Sea.