Washington, May 28 (SocialNews.XYZ) Amid growing tensions in the South China Sea and rising concerns over Beijing’s regional assertiveness, two bipartisan US senators have introduced legislation aimed at strengthening diplomatic coordination and crisis management with Indo-Pacific allies and partners.
US Senators Tammy Duckworth and John Curtis introduced two bills designed to improve coordination between the Departments of State and War and enhance preparedness for potential flashpoints involving the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the Indo-Pacific region.
The measures were introduced as Duckworth travelled to the Philippines and Singapore to reaffirm US support for regional partners and participate in high-level security discussions.
“In the face of PRC aggression, the US needs to stay focused and use all the tools at our disposal to push back in a way that’s sustainable in the long-term and doesn’t rely solely on our military to solve every problem,” Duckworth said.
She said the bipartisan bills would require the Departments of State and Defence “to come up with a clear plan to strengthen coordination, diplomacy and crisis management in the region -- under this Administration and the next.”
Curtis said the Indo-Pacific continued to face “threats of instability from adversaries like China” and stressed the need for a “proactive posture” to protect American interests and allies in the region.
According to the senators, the proposed South China Sea Strategy Act would direct the State Department to establish a formal diplomatic engagement strategy on the South China Sea and designate lead responsibility for coordinating engagement with allies and partners.
The legislation also seeks to bolster defence capabilities, maritime law enforcement capacity and resilience against “foreign malign influence,” while creating a mechanism for interagency and international coordination during regional crises short of war.
The second measure, titled the Strategy for Crisis Management Act, would require the Department of War to prepare “crisis playbooks” for potential flashpoints in the South China Sea.
The proposed playbooks would include “sequenced response options,” trigger indicators, planning scenarios, risk analysis, “possible off-ramps”, and coordination plans with foreign partners and US agencies, including the Departments of State, Commerce and Treasury.
The senators argued that better preparation was critical given the stakes involved in any conflict in the region.
They said a flare-up involving disputed islands west of the Philippines could place more than 750,000 Americans living in the country at risk and disrupt one-third of global maritime trade, including shipments of oil, gas, electronics and agricultural goods.
The South China Sea has emerged as one of the world’s most contested strategic waterways, with China asserting expansive territorial claims that overlap with those of several Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines and Vietnam.
Source: IANS
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