US defense secretary to visit Indonesia amid increased tension with China

Shares With the United States renewing its campaign against China in the Indo-Pacific theater, Defense Secretary Mark Esper expressed his intention to visit Indonesia to strengthen the cooperation through arms sales despite recent reluctance from the Indonesian side. Speaking in a virtual briefing organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Esper said his department encouraged all allies and partners to purchase American equipment. “Why? Because first and foremost it brings us together, secondly it improves our interoperability in case something does happen and third we think they are a better alternative to anything else out there. So for those reasons we continue...