NEW DELHI: The United States - as a Pacific power - will remain committed to its Indo-Pacific strategy, notwithstanding a change of Presidency, and will stand with allies and partners to deter Chinese aggression, said outgoing national security adviser Robert O’Brien.

This is being viewed as assurance to American associates in the region including India.

“We’re not going to be pushed out of the Indo-Pacific region. We’re going to fight for a free and open Indo-Pacific region with all of our friends and partners. And I think when we send that message – that peace-through-strength message – is the way to deter China. It is a way to ensure the peace, and it’s a way to make sure that there’s no war in the region,” Brien said on Monday during a briefing for select media persons from Manila. The recent Indo-US 2 +2 meet held in New Delhi focused on partnership to ensure a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region in the backdrop of Chinese aggression.

However, there has been speculation that the incoming Joe Biden presidency – which will be heavily focused on domestic issues initially - may not be able to fully commit to the foreign policy agenda.

In Manila, O'Brien had appeared to signal that Washington’s tough position on the South China Sea dispute had bipartisan backing.

We have a long Pacific coastline, like many, many of the countries from where folks on this call hail from. We are also a major Pacific power and we have long-term commitments here. And we’ve had those commitments whether we’ve been led by a Democrat or a Republican president,” he said.