Even as the Russian invasion of Ukraine remains ongoing, the United States continues to expand its focus on Southeast Asia and the Pacific to address the rise of China. As regional tensions heighten and Beijing ramps up its military modernization program, the United States and its allies and partners face numerous challenges surrounding how to most effectively deter—and if necessary—defeat aggression and coercion. For the United States to meet the demands of China’s rising power, it must balance competing interests, economic security, regional politics, and the occasional tensions to forge closer alliances and partnerships with a diverse range of countries, including Australia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, as well as fortify its territories in the region, such as Guam.

This conversation featured Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) and Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01), and was moderated by former Congressman and Wilson Center Public Policy Fellow Mark Kennedy and the Wilson Center’s Director for Geoeconomics Shihoko Goto.