Going forward, we should seek to grow, integrate, and realize these synergies as we build a regional security network together that is inclusive and resilient, based on trust, and which upholds a free and open Indo-Pacific.
If I can speak personally for a moment… Like Secretary Mattis, I grew up in Washington State, on the Pacific Coast.
My formative experiences over a 30-year career with The Boeing Company were heavily influenced by my work with partners across this region, including Japan, South Korea, China, and Singapore, among others.
I learned firsthand the immense value of relationships – that trust is built over time, through
actions as well as words.
If I can offer an analogy:in the past, I worked on teams that designed and manufactured airplanes and sourced and assembled parts from dozens of nations across this region.
Each nation’s business arrangement was different; one size did not fit all.
It was complex work, and every country in the supply chain made a unique contribution that matched their capability and ambition. No one nation could do it all.
But by working together, we created something larger than the sum of its parts.
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