February 25, 2015
Note to Ash Carter: Make the Rebalance a Reality
The new secretary of defense needs to make the United States’ “rebalance to the Asia-Pacific” an indisputable fact. Even in the face of global challenges and constrained resources, it is essential to strengthen America’s influence to preserve peace and adapt a prosperous, rule-based regional order.
Locking in deterrence and readiness for sudden change on the Korean Peninsula remains the first order of the day. Leveraging the capabilities of allies and partners can help offset constraints on U.S. armed forces, even as the United States continues to move more of its most advanced platforms to the region. Lowering points of friction with China should be a focus of effort and can be achieved in part through effective engagement and greater transparency.
Read the full article at Real Clear Defense.
More from CNAS
-
Domestic Politics Threaten Hard-Won Success in East Asia
As momentous and historic as the Camp David agreements were, this trilateral grouping is innately and structurally fragile...
By Dr. Duyeon Kim
-
Why Aren’t the Presidential Candidates Debating China?
Underestimating the China risk is a longstanding American strategic error....
By David Feith & Gabriel Scheinmann
-
Why There Are No Game-Changing Weapons for Ukraine
Germany has become the second-biggest contributor of military aid to Ukraine after the United States, but you wouldn’t know it by following the debate in Berlin. In a replay o...
By Franz-Stefan Gady
-
Strengthening the Shield
In December 2022, Japan’s government released three major strategic documents: the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Buildup Program. ...
By Jacob Stokes, Lisa Curtis, Joshua Fitt, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph I. Grimm & Rebecca Wittner