U.S. Navy Adm. John C. Aquilino, commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, during a ceremony at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, on July 12, 2023. Aquilino is expected to attend the annual Operationalizing Integration in the Indo-Pacific Conference set for Jan. 16 and 17, 2024. (Haley Fourmet Gustavsen/U.S. Marine Corps)
(Tribune News Service) — Honolulu think tank Pacific Forum is hosting a defense conference on Oahu in January that will bring together 200 speakers from across the globe, including current and former senior government leaders, military officials, academics and defense industry executives.
The annual Operationalizing Integration in the Indo-Pacific Conference is set for Jan. 16 and 17. Among those expected to attend are former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, United Kingdom Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Tevelyan, German Navy chief Vice Adm. Jan Christian Kaack and the U.S. military’s top officer in the Pacific Adm. John Aquilino.
In a news release Wednesday, Pacific Forum said “the event aims to foster collaborative approaches to regional security challenges and provide actionable insights for policymakers. Given the evolving geopolitical landscape and the increasing importance of the Indo-Pacific region, this year’s discussions are particularly timely.”
Oahu — which is home to Aquilino’s headquarters and the nerve center for all U.S. military operations in the region — has become an increasingly busy hub for diplomats, military leaders and policymakers from around the world holding meetings in Honolulu. The conference comes as tensions have simmered in the South China Sea, a critical waterway that more than a third of all global trade travels through.
“Bringing together key leaders and experts to discuss these issues is crucial at this juncture,“ said John Hemmings, senior director of Indo-Pacific foreign and security policy at Pacific Forum. “The Operationalizing Integration in the Indo-Pacific provides a platform for meaningful dialogues that can shape policies and strategies for a secure future.”
Beijing claims the entire South China Sea as its exclusive sovereign territory over the objections of neighboring countries. The Chinese military has built bases on disputed land formations and occasionally attacked vessels and maritime workers from neighboring countries, particularly the Philippines.
Beijing has charged that the United States and other countries that have sought to support the Philippines are outsiders that are interfering with Asian affairs and stoking tensions. In July, Germany released its first ever China strategy in a document that proclaimed “China has changed. As a result of this and China’s political decisions, we need to change our approach to China.”
This year’s attendee list for the Honolulu conference reflects the increased interest in Pacific affairs among European countries as growing Asian economies play an increasingly prominently role in the 21st century — and as Chinese influence over ports and trade routes has grown. Benedetta Berti-Alberti, an Italian national serving as NATO’s head of policy planning for the Office of the Secretary General, is expected to attend.
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