U.S. alliances in Asia

Trump’s administration hesitates to mediate between Japan and South Korea, but sustained diplomacy is crucial to maintaining trilateral unity.

U.S. maritime power increasingly risks projecting strength without the institutional agility to sustain it.

It’s not just South Korea; all the U.S. allies along the first island chain are in a period of political turmoil. And China is hoping to benefit.

China is the biggest factor behind the continued development of the U.S. alliance network – a trend that works independently of, and supersedes, any political dynamics in Washington.

Integrating Japan’s counterstrike capability with South Korea’s Three Axis system could strengthen the security of both countries.

SEATO’s history remains significant even 70 years after its formation and nearly 50 years since its demise.

It seems unlikely Trump 2.0 would upend security structures in the region. In trade and commerce, however, Trump's potential return has Asian officials and observers hugely worried. 

Can the international community see through the fog of its current crises and adequately prepare for an even bigger crisis further down the road?

Insights from Mathieu Duchȃtel.

The upcoming U.S. presidential election will have significant consequences for the trajectory of South Korea-U.S. relations.

The Philippines has been the perfect target for Chinese political interference – but it won’t be Beijing’s last victim.

U.S. alliances have been tested under the Trump administration – but have also proven more durable than many expected.

The U.S. should encourage trilateral cooperation with South Korea and Japan to fight the pandemic, with an eye toward saving the Tokyo Games.

The U.S. secretary of defense contends with cost-sharing and other controversies.

South Korea, Japan, and the US are all damaged by the conflict. China, however, stands to gain.

David R. Stilwell, the new U.S. assistant secretary for East Asia and the Pacific, is off to the region in his first trip.

The new Indo-Pacific Strategy Report brings little new to the table.

The time is ripe for both sides to modernize their longstanding partnership.

Though a positive development, it's hard to see the new burden sharing agreement as anything more than a stopgap measure.

The confrontation has implications for the rest of Asia, and the United States.

What happens to U.S. Asia policy if Democrats retake the House and/or Senate?

In uncertain times, Japan will have to invest more energy in a long-standing partnership.

Changes in the 2018 U.S. Nuclear Posture Review could alter the strategic environment in East Asia.

China presents many challenges, but bluff, bluster, and empty rhetoric will be seen for exactly what it is.