Asian Ascendency?



Chinese Naval Vessels in South China Sea

 As all RTP&GGrs know, one of the US's biggest foreign policy worries is the potential for China to become the dominant player in East Asia and the Pacific.
Now, it appears that the Obama administration is responding to that threat.  I'm not sure what 2500 troops are supposed to do in Australia practically, but I'm sure this is a good symbolic statement that we don't intend to vacate the Western Pacific.

Investor's Business Daily may be overstating how positive this move is taken in by other East Asian countries, but I bet not: just as the famous observation went during the Cold War: "the Soviet Union is the only country in the world surrounded by hostile communist states", so China is the only nation in the world surrounded by hostile Asian states (OK, they're not the only one).  And most of the Asian nations surrounding China are pretty powerful in their own right too.  The important point is not the number of troops being forward-positioned, it is the fact that the East Asian countries are eager for our support, both in the trade agreements and in the military posturing.  They look to us, not China to secure their economic and military safety.

The fact that we did this in spite of the heavy reliance we have on China to finance our debt shows that the Obama administration is a little more bold than I expected, or that our debt financing by China is not considered too significant a leverage over us by our government.  An interesting move.  Lots to quote from here, all good:

On his visit to Hawaii, Bali and Australia, Obama announced that 2,500 U.S. troops would be stationed in northern Australia, a move welcomed with open arms not just by Australia but across the Pacific.

Obama also announced that the "broad outlines" of the Trans-Pacific Partnership eight-nation free trade zone were advancing, with major new nations — Japan, Canada and Mexico seeking entry — a big vote of confidence in America from a region that accounts for 60% of world trade. The State Department, meanwhile, announced a big, generous aid package for flood-ravaged Thailand.

Coming on the heels of Obama's signature on the U.S.-South Korea free trade treaty, the signal is unmistakable: America's back after a long period of neglect, and "We're here to stay," as Obama said.

No wonder Australia's prime minister, Julia Gillard, couldn't conceal her delight.

This article shows that there is much more than this forward-basing of troops going on that could be perceived as aggressive from China's point of view.  Read the whole thing, and it's good to see we still have a bit of a spine.