Statement by NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson Marking the Two-Year Anniversary of the Indo-Pacific Strategy

Sunday, February 11, 2024 marks the second anniversary of the Biden-Harris Administration's Indo-Pacific Strategy. Over the past two years, we have made historic progress in advancing an Indo-Pacific that is free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient. Thanks to President Biden's leadership, the United States has never been in a stronger position in the Indo-Pacific.

In the two years since we have launched the Indo-Pacific Strategy, we have reinvested and revitalized our alliances and partnerships and taken them to new heights. We have deepened and elevated alliances with Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Australia, the Philippines, and Thailand. We upgraded our bilateral relationships with Vietnam and Indonesia, and our partnership with ASEAN. We have expanded our partnership with India in unprecedented ways. We have surged our efforts in the Pacific, including with two historic summits for Pacific Island leaders at the White House and the establishment of the Partners of the Blue Pacific.

In addition, President Biden hosted the historic U.S.-Japan-ROK trilateral summit at Camp David to open a new chapter in this important partnership. Under President Biden's leadership, we have elevated the Quad with Australia, India, and Japan to a leader-level summit and have delivered concrete results for the Indo-Pacific region, from vaccines to maritime domain awareness to scholarships for students. And three of the four Official State Visits President Biden has hosted were with leaders of Indo-Pacific countries: the Republic of Korea, India, and Australia. This year, the President will welcome Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan. We have also undertaken historic cooperation between the United States, Japan, and the Philippines.

We have also built closer ties between Europe and the Indo-Pacific, including through the launch of AUKUS, a historic partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Today, we see a recognition both in Europe and the Indo-Pacific that the opportunities and challenges in one region directly affect the other. We've seen that with historic support from some of our Indo-Pacific partners for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia's brutal invasion. And we see that recognition from our European partners as we work to address the direct military support from the DPRK to Russia's war in Ukraine.

After just two years, our execution of the Indo-Pacific Strategy has made our country and the Indo-Pacific region more secure and more prosperous. All of this strengthens the United States' position in the Indo-Pacific, and advances our interests in and vision for the region amidst strategic competition with the People's Republic of China. And even as we confront challenges elsewhere, the United States will proudly continue to prioritize our work in this critical region for our future.

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Fact Sheets from Interagency Partners:

• Department of State: The United States' Enduring Commitment to the Indo-Pacific: Marking Two Years Since the Release of the Administration's Indo-Pacific Strategy
• Department of Defense: FACT SHEET: Department of Defense Marks Two-Year Anniversary of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy
• Department of Commerce: Two Years of Indo-Pacific Strategic Results: Strengthening Indo-Pacific Commerce for a Prosperous Future
• U.S. Trade and Development Agency: FACT SHEET: USTDA Support for the Indo-Pacific Strategy