NWF Daily News:
Nuclear and ballistic missile testing by North Korea (DPRK) and the fallout from the recent Singapore meeting have raised the stakes and underscored the dangers to our vital interests in the Pacific basin.
Our most important interests may be summarized as follows: Access to Asian markets and the security of the sea lanes through the East and South China seas, the security and prosperity of key regional Allies, notably Japan and South Korea, and the denuclearization of the DPRK.
Recent dramatic demonstrations by the DPRK have commanded the world’s attention, but the trends have been evident for a decade or more. The new millennium brought a dramatic surge in the the economic and military power of China. And, notwithstanding the prior administration’s belated “pivot toward Asia,” China’s influence in the region has increased to the detriment of the United States and its allies.
The fundamental challenge to our interests is China’s emergence as the regional hegemonic power in East Asia.
