US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin has said the United States is pursuing an "integrated deterrence" strategy in the Asia-Pacific region that will rely on stronger defence co-operation and enhanced co-ordination with allies and partners to better meet regional challenges, including "the spectre of coercion from rising powers". In a speech given on 27 July in Singapore as part of a tour of Southeast Asian countries that included Vietnam and the Philippines, Austin described 'integrated deterrence' as Washington's "new, 21st-century vision" for the region. He said that while deterrence remains the cornerstone of US security, emerging threats and cutting-edge technologies are changing the face and pace of warfare. In this context the 'integrated deterrence' strategy is designed to use "every military and non-military tool in our toolbox, in lock-step with our allies and partners".
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