From Evan B. Montgomery, CSBA: “With some of the world’s largest economies, most vital sea lanes, and closest U.S. allies, the Asia-Pacific Region is quickly becoming centrally important to today’s international system. It is also home to the first new great power of the twenty-first century: the People’s Republic of China. Managing China’s rise will not be easy.”
Andrew Krepinevich writes: The military balance in the Western Pacific has been shifting sharply in China’s favor in recent years. It will continue to do so without a major effort by America and its allies in that region to preserve a stable balance of power. A strategy to accomplish this needs to be developed. Given the time such a strategy will take to implement, the effort must start now, before it’s too late. Let’s hope Secretary Mattis’ trip is only the first step in this important effort. – Breaking Defense