US can rely on what China decries as the ‘Asian NATO’ for deterrence, former officials say

The U.S. can rely on regional partnerships with Japan and Australia to deter Chinese ambition in the region, as the two Indo-Pacific countries develop closer ties and more robust military capabilities, former officials tell Fox News Digital.

“Japan and Australia share a common position on the need to balance the power of China in the Indo-Pacific region, and we actually have for years,” former Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told Fox News Digital. “[China] under Xi Jinping has become incredibly aggressive and has tried to dominate the region, and that will completely destabilize the region if they do so. We have to make sure China understands we’re happy to work with China and sell to China, but we’re not going to be bullied…