Washington, December 6: In a bid to counter the emerging threats from China, the US has vowed to strengthen ties with countries in the Pacific region and said that the US businesses would step up efforts to counter the increasingly urgent threat of China.

As reported by The New York Times, the remarks were made by US Defense Secretary Lloyd J Austin III on Saturday, during a speech at the annual Reagan National Defence Forum. Also Read | Nepal Detects First Two Cases of COVID-19 Variant Omicron.

Austin said that the "Biden administration would push both allies in the Pacific and US businesses to step up efforts to counter the increasingly urgent threat of China". Also Read | Better.com CEO Vishal Garg Lays Off 900 Employees In United States And India On Zoom Call; Here’s Why (Watch Video).

"America is a Pacific power," the Secretary of Defence added. This was the first in-person meeting of defence officials and experts since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

In one of the most prominent speeches since the US troops withdrawal from Afghanistan, Austin also offered the broad outlines of Washington's strategy for dealing with China.

As reported by The New York Times, the strategy relies on both strengthening work with allies and partners in the region and pushing the US technology industry to keep ahead of Chinese innovations.

"We're not asking countries to choose between the United States and China. Instead, we're working to advance an international system that is free and stable and open," Austin said. The developments came as the US is making efforts to counter threats emerging from China.

Tensions between the US and China have significantly escalated, particularly over the issue of Taiwan with senior Pentagon officials expressing alarm about China's efforts to upgrade and modernize its military, reported CNN.

A week ago, the US administration had also expressed "deep concerns" upon the reports that Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai appears to be missing after accusing a former PRC official of sexual assaults, said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

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