Back to the Pacific: Notwithstanding Ukraine and Gaza wars, US geostrategic priorities remain in Asia 

WITH much of the world’s attention focused in recent months on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, US allies in Asia might have wondered about America’s commitment to remain involved in the Indo-Pacific region.

But the vows made by US President Joe Biden and Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last Wednesday (Apr 10) in Washington to strengthen defence cooperation in the face of a potential threat from China suggests that, despite the current US preoccupation with instability in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, America’s centre of geostrategic gravity remains in Asia – and that the concerns over the challenge posed by China tops Washington’s foreign policy and national security agenda.

The US commitment to remain as an active military and economic power in the Pacific Rim was also highlighted in the first-ever joint meeting Biden held the next day with the leaders of Japan and the Philippines, during which they discussed how to strengthen their alliance in the face of Chinese challenges.