Austin at IISS - Prosperity, Openness and Freedom under the American Empire

 The Americans' theme for this year's IISS Dialogue at Shangri La is 'US leadership in the Indo Pacific Region' not Asia Pacific Region. The Americans coined the term Indo Pacific Region to exclude Asia in the conventional reference of Asia Pacific that includes China and Russia. The Americans want to play a big part in the region and came out with the agenda and opening theme of the IISS, ie the dominance of the American Empire in the region and how it is going to rule the countries in the region.

Austin tried to coax his speech in the direction of maintaining openness, freedom and achieving prosperity through cooperation with American allies, avoiding the obvious, the role of the American Empire. All openness, freedom and prosperity is only possible... under the hegemony of the American Empire. The Americans would set all the rules and terms for the colonies and semi colonies of the American Empire that he diplomatically called 'allies'.

To achieve the aim of the American Empire, Austin proudly talked about the best and biggest defence budget of the US, in the tune of $900b. With this budget, he laid out what the Empire would do, ie spend the money to build up the defence capabilities of the 'allies' states with the most advanced military hardware the Americans are willing to share, minus those unspoken that would not be delivered to untrustworthy colonies eg the highly touted but defective F35s, drones or advanced warships. The Americans would make their 'allies' pay for all the expensive so called advanced military weapons like M16s and the obsolete F16s that they were selling to Taiwan to fight with China, including old warships on the way to the American war museum.

With the military budget, they could conduct more provocative war games to provoke and threaten China, Russia and North Korea, to raise tension and instability in the region, to strike fears and uncertainty in their 'allies' states, to become more dependent on the Americans against an imaginary threat created by the Americans. They could also fly and sail more military aircraft and warships into Chinese and Korean seas and airspace to taunt and agitate China and the North Koreans in the name of freedom of navigation, and called interception of such provocative acts as dangerous and unprofessional.

With the budget, they could send in more warships and coastguards to rule the seas in the region, to control international fishing, to state the rules of international fishing rights for countries in the region, under Pax Americana. Yes, the region would be fully under the military control of the American forces. And all their 'allies' will live happily in prosperity, openness and freedom, dictated by the American Empire. The littoral states of the Pacific and Indian Oceans would have to surrender their rights and control of the seas to American coast guards and warships.

Austin was especially proud that the Americans had recently added another pawn into the Empire, in the form of Papua New Guinea. Under the pretext of a defence pact to protect PNG, PNG would now have to toe the line of the Empire and do as dictated by the Empire. 

In the US's relations with China, Austin reminded the PRC on the importance of talks and communication, with the underlying unspoken conditions, that they are going to tell China that the Indo Pacific Region is now under the control of the American Empire, and no country is allowed to bully or coerce any country in the region. Caveat, the only country that can do the coercing and bullying is the USA. The Americans wanted eagerly to meet up with China to tell the Chinese that the America Empire is here to rule the waves.

The Americans are not trying to start a war with China, not dividing the region into blocs, there is only one bloc, the American Empire, and China, Russia and North Korea are not in the bloc. They are the enemies and would be coerced and bullied and kept out of the Indo Pacific Region. The Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean are the lakes of the American Empire. It would not be long before the American Coast Guards would be patrolling the seas of Asean and the Indian Ocean.

The audience were invited to IISS to listen the American envoy, Austin, telling them that this is the new rules based order of the region, the American rules based order. How would the audience take note of the Empire's decree and how would they convey this message to their own people?  The IISS has morphed itself into a platform for the American Empire to address the world on what the Americans want to say and do and how they would behave, and the rest of the world just have to take these as the Empires rule of law. 

Very likely everyone would take it quietly whether they are for or against the American Empire. As for the 'allies' or American colonies or semi colonies, they knew what is coming. China would likely be the only and sole nation state to oppose this new status quo openly and in defiance.

Could the Americans reestablish this new order in the region, or would the countries in the region denounce it and stand up for their true independence and freedom under their own terms, not under the American Empire? Austin has clearly and proudly named the countries under the American Empire, ie Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, India, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore, and of course a new member in PNG.