Chair Cardin Opening Remarks at Hearing on Modernizing U.S. Alliances and Partnerships in the Indo-Pacific

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, delivered opening remarks at a full Committee hearing on “Modernizing U.S. Alliances and Partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.” During the hearing, Chair Cardin underscored the importance of the United States’ alliances with our partners in the Indo-Pacific and praised the Biden Administration for revitalizing our alliances and partnerships from where they were four years ago.

WATCH THE CHAIR’S OPENING REMARKS HERE

More information about the hearing is available here.

A copy of the Chair’s remarks, as delivered, have been provided below.

Four years ago, America’s alliances were in tatters, especially in the Indo-Pacific.

We saw a retreat from support for democracy and human rights, a chaotic patchwork of diplomatic grudges and self-defeating trade policies, and demands that our allies pay the cost of hosting U.S. bases.

China was filling the vacuum left by the United States approach to foreign policy that some called “America First” but was in reality just America Alone. Only four years later, our alliances have never been stronger. That tremendous progress is thanks to the hard work of the Biden Administration.

The historic Camp David summit with Japan and South Korea; the AUKUS agreement with Australia and the United States and the United Kingdom, which goes far beyond nuclear submarines; the increased practical cooperation with members of the Quad—Australia, Japan and India—who share many of our strategic views on China; and just last week we witnessed the first ever trilateral summit here in Washington between Japan, the Philippines, and the United States.

Our alliances in the region don’t just reassure nations who live in Beijing’s shadows—they also pay off for the American people. Whether it is intelligence sharing on mutual threats or U.S. basing and rotational agreements, we enjoy enormous benefits from maintaining our Indo-Pacific alliances.

Both Democrats and Republicans understand how important this region is. That is why there is bipartisan agreement across Congress on the need to preserve and deepen these alliances. And I am optimistic that the House will do the right thing and pass the Administration’s Supplemental Security package.

It not only includes vital funding for Ukraine, but almost five billion dollars for the Indo-Pacific. As President Kennedy once said “History has made us friends. Economics has made us partners. And necessity has made us allies. Those whom nature hath so joined together, let no man put asunder.”

The truth is that one of the United States’ greatest strategic advantages is our alliances. Who are China’s closest friends? Russia? Iran? North Korea? Some of the worst human rights abusers in the world that repress the hopes and dreams of their citizens.

Meanwhile we have five mutual defense treaties with Japan, South Korea, Australia, the Philippines, and Thailand. And our partnerships include New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Mongolia and Taiwan, and the list goes on, no one wants to be left off. Why?

It’s not just because we have the greatest military in the world. It’s because of our values. It is because while others might use debt trap diplomacy to buy influence, the United States is working to bring peace and stability and prosperity. It’s because we are working to uphold the rules-based international order that has benefited people across the planet. We cannot go back to the days when America was agonizing and even attacking our friends. We cannot succeed with a foreign policy that tells dictators to “do whatever the hell they want” to our allies.

From manufacturing microchips to expanding the operational reach of our military across the Pacific; to combating corruption and standing up for human rights, the stakes in the Indo-Pacific are simply too high for the United States. We need a robust economic agenda, and we need to show up with concrete alternatives to what our competitors are offering in infrastructure and investment.

America’s leadership in the world has never been more important. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses. We have two very very distinguished expert witnesses with us today and we should have an incredibly important discussion.

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