U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), as part of a congressional delegation to Southeast Asia, recently met with American allies in the Indo-Pacific region to strengthen bilateral ties and strategic alliances.
Alabama’s junior senator was accompanied by U.S. Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Mike Lee (R-UT), and U.S. Reps. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) and Jake Ellzey (R-TX).
The congressional delegation’s trip included stops in the Philippines, Taiwan and India. Tuberville and his colleagues’ stated intention was to reinforce the United States Indo-Pacific Command’s (USINDOPACOM) mission to broaden national security relations in the region.
Among the topics American leaders discussed with key regional allies was the growing threat of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) hostility. According to Tuberville’s Senate office, the congressional delegation saw firsthand the Chinese regime’s military activity in the highly contentious South China Sea.
“The Indo-Pacific region is critically important to the economic and national security of the United States,” advised Tuberville. “Our strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific are thriving despite the daily threat of aggression from the Chinese Communist Party, which seeks economic and military dominance in the region and beyond.”
While overseas, Tuberville and his colleagues met with Taiwanese leadership. The leaders discussed trade relations as well as China’s efforts to undermine Taiwan’s chipmaking capabilities and destabilize the vital supply chain.
He added, “Understanding the challenges our friends face is critical to providing support to our allies and to protecting our own national security interests. This trip was an opportunity to hear directly from INDOPACOM military leaders and to further strengthen our bonds with nations that share our values and understand the strategic investments that must be made to ensure peace through strength.”
In a meeting with USINDOPACOM, top military officials spoke to the delegation regarding their vision of the U.S. military’s presence in the region, which encompasses territory from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to the western border of India.
Tuberville concluded, “I’m incredibly proud of what our soldiers, sailors, Airmen, and Marines do every day in the Pacific to stabilize the region so that trade can flow and freedom can spread.
In a Monday evening virtual press conference with reporters, Tuberville outlined the United States’ strategic partnership with pro-democracy nations in the region. The freshman senator detailed the efforts to strengthen national security and trade alliances, largely in part to deter Chinese aggression to ensure regional stability.
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
