ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA， WE HOLD THE LINE， SUPPORTING OUR DIPLOMATS WHO LEAD THIS EFFORT. OUR OBJECTIVE REMAINS THE COMPLETE， VERIFIABLE， AND IRREVERSIBLE DENUCLEARIZATION OF THE KOREAN PENINSULA
－ THE INT’L COMMUNITY IS IN ALIGNMENT HERE， AS EVIDENCED BY MULTIPLE， UNANIMOUS UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS
BEYOND NORTH KOREA， WE ARE FOCUSED ON MODERNIZING OUR ALLIANCES W／ BOTH R.O.K. ＆ JAPAN， TRANSFORMING THESE CRITICAL ALLIANCES TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY
THE DEPT OF DEFENSE REMAINS STEADFASTLY COMMITTED TO WORKING W／TAIWAN TO PROVIDE THE DEFENSE ARTICLES AND SERVICES NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT SELF－DEFENSE， CONSISTENT W／ OBLIGATIONS SET OUT IN OUR TAIWAN RELATIONS ACT WE OPPOSE ALL UNILATERAL EFFORTS TO ALTER THE STATUS QUO ＆ WILL CONTINUE TO INSIST ANY RESOLUTION OF DIFFERENCES ACCORD W／ THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TAIWAN STRAIT
IN SOUTHEAST ASIA， WE HAVE REINVIGORATED OUR LONGSTANDING ALLIANCES WITH THE PHILIPPINES ＆ THAILAND WHILE BOLSTERING OUR ENDURING PARTNERSHIP WITH SINGAPORE.
AT THE SAME TIME WE ARE SEEKING TO DEVELOP NEW PARTNERSHIPS WITH PIVOTAL PLAYERS ACROSS THE REGION， SUCH AS INDONESIA， MALAYSIA ＆ VIETNAM， WHERE WE HAVE MADE HISTORIC PROGRESS BASED ON SHARED INTERESTS AND MUTUAL RESPECT
WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ASEAN’S CENTRALITY IN THE REGIONAL SECURITY ARCHITECTURE ＆ SEEK TO EMPOWER IT. THE MORE ASEAN SPEAKS W／ ONE VOICE， THE BETTER WE CAN MAINTAIN A REGION FREE FROM COERCION， ONE THAT LIVES BY RESPECT FOR INT’L LAW...
IN OCEANIA， OUR ALLIANCES AND PARTNERSHIPS ARE BASED NOT ONLY ON COMMON SECURITY INTERESTS， BUT ALSO ON DEEPLY－SHARED VALUES AND A LONG HISTORY OF SHARED SACRIFICE
AUSTRALIA REMAINS ONE OF OUR STRONGEST ALLIES， AND THIS YEAR， WE CELEBRATE OUR FIRST 100 YEARS OF MATESHIP.
WE ARE ALSO REVITALIZING OUR DEFENSE PARTNERSHIP WITH NEW ZEALAND. WE MODERNIZE THESE KEY ALLIANCES AND PARTNERSHIPS TO ENSURE THEY ARE AS RELEVANT TO THE SECURITY CHALLENGES OF THIS CENTURY AS THEY WERE TO THE LAST
OUR STRATEGY ALSO RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS， “AMERICA’S GATEWAY TO THE INDO－PACIFIC，” AND A REGION WHERE WE ARE STEPPING UP OUR ENGAGEMENT. THE PRESIDENT’S BUDGET MADE GOOD ON OUR LONG－OVERDUE PROMISE TO FUND OUR COMPACT OF ASSOCIATION WITH PALAU， AND THIS IS JUST A DOWN PAYMENT ON THE INITIATIVES TO COME IN THIS IMPORTANT PART OF THE WORLD
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