In the News

America’s Pacific Posture: Staying the Course

The future of U.S. force posture in Asia is uncertain under the new Trump administration.

During the presidential campaign Donald Trump provided a succinct assessment of his approach to U.S. alliances: “You always have to be prepared to walk.”  Asian allies, long accustomed to strong bipartisan support, were stunned.  While President Trump’s successful summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe helped ease regional anxieties to an extent, Asian allies and partners nonetheless remain concerned about the degree of uncertainty surrounding Trump’s foreign policy.  Between argumentative phone calls and a flurry of executive orders, Trump has made clear that he’s willing to throw out the rule book in pursuit of an “America First” approach.  U.S. partners, in turn, are openly questioning whether Asia still has a place in Washington’s vision of this brave new world, or whether the new administration may simply toss out the pivot to Asia much like it did the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The above excerpt was originally published in War on the Rocks. Click here to view the full article.

The positions of American Progress, and our policy experts, are independent, and the findings and conclusions presented are those of American Progress alone. A full list of supporters is available here. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible.

Authors

Brian Harding

Director, East and Southeast Asia

Lindsey Ford