Global Asia The US Pivot to Asia

Cover Stories

As the World Rebalances in the Asian-Pacific Century, So Must the United States By Patrick M. Cronin The new US strategy is motivated by long-term interests and short-term events, some involving China. That does not mean the US pivot is aimed at containing China.

America’s New Security Strategy and Its Military Dimension By Michael McDevitt While China is an important factor, America’s strategic shift is more about shaping the security environment in such a way that US-China conflict never becomes necessary.

Not Backing Down: China Responds to the US Rebalance to Asia By Wu Xinbo Few people in China take at face value US reassurances that it isn’t seeking to contain China, especially with regard to its maritime claims in the East and South China Seas.

Challenging ASEAN: The US Pivot Through Southeast Asia’s Eyes By Donald K. Emmerson It is in Southeast Asia that the US pivot’s three themes - security, economy, democracy - are most evident.

Overbalancing: The Folly of Trying to Contain China By Malcolm Fraser There are inherent risks to countries such as Australia in being drawn into a potentially dangerous American strategy that many believe is really targeting the rise of China.

Will the US Pivot Trigger a New Regional Arms Race? By Richard A. Bitzinger Asian countries for more than a decade have been engaged in an arms buying binge. It would be worrisome if America’s new Asia strategy accelerates that destabilizing trend.

Advice from a Good Friend: A South Korean View on the US Rebalancing By Kang Choi Many Asian countries welcome the new US policy, but there are nevertheless doubts and misgivings about US commitment and ability to carry through on the policy.

Facilitating the US Pivot: A Japanese Perspective By Noboru Yamaguchi As a staunch ally of the US, Japan has a lot at stake in the US rebalancing. Japan and other allies should help ensure that the new policy is implemented in a desirable way.