Pence says 'empire and aggression' have no place in Indo-Pacific

US Vice President's comment may be widely interpreted as a reference to China’s rise

SINGAPORE: US Vice President Mike Pence told leaders of Southeast Asian nations on Thursday that there is no place for “empire and aggression” in the Indo-Pacific region, a comment that may be widely interpreted as a reference to China’s rise.

Pence did not mention China in his remarks at the opening of a summit with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Singapore, but stressed that small countries as well as large ones should be allowed to prosper in the Indo-Pacific.

“Like you, we seek an Indo-Pacific in which all nations, large and small, can prosper and thrive – secure in our sovereignty, confident in our values, and growing stronger together,” he said. “We all agree that empire and aggression have no place in the Indo-Pacific.”