U.S.: A Progress Report on Washington's Re-engagement with Asia

The United States continues to make progress on the military and defense aspects of its foreign policy pivot to the Asia-Pacific region, though U.S. President Barack Obama's canceled visit to Malaysia and the Philippines is a less encouraging sign for diplomatic re-engagement. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Secretary of State John Kerry met with their Japanese counterparts on Oct. 3. The sides decided to revise defense cooperation guidelines and settled some outstanding issues on the transfer of U.S. Marines out of Okinawa. Hagel had just left South Korea, where he and top U.S. military officials announced a new strategy with the South Korean military that they described as tailored deterrence. Following major regional summits in Indonesia and Brunei, Kerry will go to the Philippines where, despite Obama's absence, he will negotiate a previously discussed plan to increase American troop rotations into Philippine bases. 

 

Essentially, Washington meant for Hagel's trip to help recalibrate U.S. regional alliances. As the United States draws down its forces in the Middle East, it has sought to re-establish itself in East Asia in response to the rise of Chinese power, the threats posed by North Korea and an ever-increasing economic interdependence with the region. For their part, Washington's allies have sought greater U.S. military and security commitments. The United States wants to embolden its allies while avoiding entanglement in their affairs. However, Washington also recognizes the need to be prepared in the event North Korea takes steps beyond its usual provocations — or if China becomes less willing to operate within the confines of a U.S.-led international system.