Biden's Indo-Pacific strategy contradicts pledge to avoid conflicts with China: report

HONG KONG - The recent Indo-Pacific strategy unveiled by US President Joe Biden is at odds with his pledges to avoid conflict and a cold war with China, according to a recent editorial published by the South China Morning Post.

Most aspects of the document lean toward countering China's rising influence, links with the Indo-Pacific region and the Belt and Road Initiative, said the article.

Nevertheless, the article noted that despite Biden's attempt to strengthen the US role in the region, nations in the Asian-Pacific region are now wary of the United States and its fickle political ways.

China is regarded more like a friend than a foe to many governments, which appreciate its non-interference in domestic affairs and view it as crucial for development, the report said.

"As the COVID-19 pandemic surged around the world, Beijing was the first nation to reach out and offer expertise, resources and vaccines," it said, noting that China's rising trade and investment will be crucial for the post-pandemic economic recovery, while infrastructure projects under the initiative are driving much-needed growth and development.

The US "plan will be a burden, not a benefit, for the region," it concluded.