US and its Asia-Pacific allies cite ’Beijing threat’ to justify military presence

Australia and Canada are set to increase military cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, citing growing Chinese influence in the region. Canberra has also agreed to produce U.S. guided missiles for Washington’s allies, while the Pentagon has promised an increase in American troop numbers in Australia. We hear from Indonesian defense analyst and St. Petersburg University professor Connie Rahakundini Bakrie, who argues that ASEAN countries must resist the spread of Western alliances in the Indo-Pacific.