The American diplomatic push aimed at countering China’s increasing influence in the Asia-Pacific region appears to be paying dividends, with many nations showing a willingness to partner with the United States, a top State Department official said Friday.
US State Department Counselor Derek Chollet told The Associated Press it was noteworthy that 13 nations representing 40 per cent of the world’s economy had signed on to the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework that President Joe Biden launched in Japan at the end of May.
He said that China at around the same time failed in its attempt to get a group of Pacific islands to endorse a sweeping agreement with Beijing.
China had broken from its traditional approach of negotiating one-on-one with countries…
