Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visits Fort Wainwright, Alaska, July 24, 2021. Alaska was the first stop of seven-day trip that includes Singapore, Hanoi, Vietnam and Manila, Philippines. (Chad McNeeley/Defense Department)

Delivering the Fullerton Lecture at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Austin also emphasized the importance of partnerships and transparency in the international community, namely countries in Southeast Asia.

Reports of anti-Asian hate crime rose dramatically in major cities during the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2020, according to a study by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.