Strengthening military ties to Asian allies

Tom Brady

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Photo Credit: UX Gun

Biden came into office with the goal of countering China by rebuilding military alliances with Asian allies. In late 2022, a top Pentagon official promised to accelerate that effort, vowing that “2023 is likely to stand as the most transformative year in U.S. force posture in the [Pacific] region in a generation.”

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The move

The Biden administration inked new defense partnerships with the Philippines and Papua New Guinea, and deepened ties with India and Australia. The Pentagon also announced it would forward-deploy a Marine littoral regiment, an upgraded unit equipped with anti-ship missiles and advanced intelligence and reconnaissance capabilities, in Okinawa, Japan. In addition, during his first year as president, Biden announced a new working group with Britain and Australia to support Canberra’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines and share other advanced technologies, a pact now known as AUKUS.

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The impact

All of the moves are aimed at building up the United States’ military partnerships in the Pacific — and countering China. The Pentagon said China is continuing to steadily expand its nuclear arsenal and could have 1,500 warheads by 2035, in addition to its growing fleet of warships and aircraft.

The upshot

The jury is still out on whether the administration has transformed the country’s posture in Asia, but DOD undeniably made some key moves that are sure to please partners in the region who worry about China’s mounting aggression.