Pentagon invests in Asian partners as China flexes with Russia

Tokyo – The Pentagon is expected to announce investments in Asia this week that play into the long-game positioning to deter China, just days after Chinese bombers for the first time ever encroached in the international airspace off Alaska. 

Despite ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza that still threaten to expand, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is making his 11th trip to the Indo-Pacific as secretary, as part of the Pentagon’s focus on China as what it calls “the pacing challenge.” 

Austin is visiting Japan and the Philippines on this trip. In Japan, Austin is expected to preview a major upgrade of command and control between the two countries. In the Philippines, he is expected to announce $500 million in foreign military financing that, according to a defense official, will go in part towards cybersecurity and maritime self-defense that could help defend against an aggressive China. 

On Wednesday, the U.S. military intercepted two Chinese and two Russian bombers flying off the coast of Alaska. Although Russian aircraft are routinely intercepted by NORAD in that area, this is the first time the U.S. has intercepted Chinese aircraft in that vicinity. The combined exercise highlights the relationship that appears to have grown since China began supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by helping to supply Russia’s defense industrial base.

There has been a focus on Taiwan and President Xi Jinping’s intention to develop the capability to invade Taiwan militarily by 2027, even if the decision to invade comes later. That timeline has driven some of the Pentagon’s own planning for the long game but one potential flare-up that could come sooner is in the South China Sea, where there is an escalating rivalry between the Philippines and China.  

The Philippines keeps an outpost on an old ship called the Sierra Madre in the South China Sea in an area China claims as its own. When the Filipino military conducted resupply missions to the outpost over the past year, the Chinese harassed them with water cannons and bright lasers and even collided with them on occasion.

The president of the Philippines has said that if a Filipino sailor is hurt,  it could invoke the mutual defense treaty between the U.S. and the Philippines. Austin when asked about this has said the treaty is “ironclad,” but the goal is to prevent any escalation from occurring. Part of the investment on this trip, including the $500 million in foreign military financing, is intended for that end. 

Austin before he left the U.S., read out to reporters what he considered to be President Biden’s achievements and the focus on China was at the top of the list. He said Mr. Biden has left a legacy that includes “positioning the U.S. to compete with China and win.” 

After Austin returns to the U.S., he will go to Annapolis, Maryland where he and Secretary of State Blinken will meet with their Australian counterparts for the Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations. 

A defense official referred to the trip and the meeting with Australia as “the 10 most consequential days for U.S. defense ties in the Indo-Pacific since the start of the administration.”