An F/A-18E Super Hornet from the “Mighty Shrikes” of Strike Fighter Squadron 94 prepares to launch from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in the South China Sea on January 13, 2023. (US Navy photo by David Rowe)

Hudson Asia-Pacific Security Chair Patrick Cronin and Senior Fellow Rebeccah Heinrichs hosted Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Dr. Ely Rattner and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia Lindsey W. Ford for a conversation on how the Department of Defense can build a more resilient security architecture in the Indo-Pacific region. Below are some key takeaways from the event.

Key Insights

1. The United States is responding to what China has done.

The People’s Republic of China is investing heavily in its conventional forces across all military domains and is in the middle of a nuclear weapons strategic buildup. While Beijing is advancing its military capabilities and conducting training exercises in concerning ways, the PRC is also engaging in dangerous and increasingly routine intercepts of US and ally aircraft that are flying lawfully in international airspace. The US is responding to the dangerous and threatening intercepts by publicly discussing the PRC’s behavior and how the US and our allies are behaving responsibly.

2. Washington is deepening partnerships with regional allies.

The US seeks to make 2023 a significant year for maintaining peace and deterring China from acting aggressively against Taiwan and other key US allies and interests. In the face of the PRC’s aggressive territorial posturing, allies have been willing to deepen cooperation with the US, and some partners have offered better and greater access to basing within the Pacific theater. The US has not yet taken full advantage of the military posture and basing agreements, but senior officials say more capabilities, including weapons and forces, are coming. Working bilaterally and minilaterally, America leverages allies and partners that are strengthening their defenses and enhancing their security cooperation to preserve order and buttress deterrence.

3. Allies need to deter North Korea.

North Korea’s nuclear and missile buildup will accelerate rather than slow down US-South Korea efforts to reinforce extended deterrence. With the resumption of extensive combined military exercises and deeper dialogue, including tabletop exercises simulating North Korean nuclear use, the allies can succeed in deterring conflict on the Korean Peninsula, though not halt Pyongyang’s missile testing.

4. The Pentagon is focused on the Indo-Pacific but will not ignore other regions.

The Indo-Pacific region remains the priority theater for the entire Department of Defense, even as the United States remains committed to upholding its security commitments in other theaters. These include maintaining a credible extended deterrence in Europe and cooperating with allies to supply Ukraine with weapons and aid so that Kyiv can defend itself against Russia’s invasion, which attempts to subjugate Ukraine and weaken NATO. By demonstrating to the PRC that the costs of a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan will be high and are getting higher, the Pentagon hopes to dissuade China from attempting a violent unification.

Quotes may be edited for clarity and length. 

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