The United States

as a Pacific Power

Professor Carl Thayer

Security Studies (Regional)
Australian Command and Staff College
October 12, 2010
 Outline of Lecture

1.  Historical Background: The Rise of the

U.S. as a Pacific Power
2.  The National Security Process and
Congressionally Mandated Requirements
3.  The United States as a Pacific Power
 1. Historical Background
•  China Clipper trade 1845-59
•  Pre-1890s US isolationism
•  Major power after Civil War (1861-65)
•  End of the frontier 1890
•  Alfred Thayer Mahan (writing in 1890)
•  Influence of Social Darwinism
•  ‘the white man’s burden’
Opening of Japan, 1852-54
Commodore Perry and
the ‘Black Ships’
•  1st visit 1852 left
letter of demand
•  2nd visit 1854
•  Convention of
Kanagawa signed
U.S. Emerges as a Pacific Power
China Relief Expedition 1900-01
Great White Fleet
1907-09
 Washington Naval Conference
1921-22
•  The Asia-Pacific first treated as a
separate geographical region
•  Fix ratio of warships that states could
deploy to the Pacific
–  Limit the geographical and military scope
of Japan
–  1930s Japan repudiated agreement and
sought to exclude western powers
Three Wars in the Pacific
• 2nd World War 1941-45
• Korean Conflict 1950-53
• Vietnam War 1765-73
US ‘Hub and Spokes’ Model

Japan

ANZUS
South
Korea

USA

Thailand Taiwan

Philippines
 Compacts of Free Association and
Commonwealth Northern Mariana Islands
 2. National Security Process
National Security Council
President
Vice President

Secretaries of State, Chairman Joint Director of National Assistant for National

Treasury, Defense Chiefs of Staff Intelligence Security

Chief of Staff,
Counsel to the
President, Assistant
As appropriate: Attorney General and the for Economic Policy
Director of the Office of Management and
Budget; and others by invitation
 Interagency Process

•  National Security Council

•  Principals’ Committee
•  Deputies’ Committee
•  Interagency Committee
– Chaired by Assistant Secretaries of
State
 Congressionally Mandated Requirements 
Committees of Congress
Senate House of Representatives
•  Armed Services •  Armed Services
•  Foreign Relations •  International Affairs
•  Intelligence (Select) •  Intelligence (Select)
•  Budget •  Appropriations
•  Homeland Security and •  Homeland Security
Government Affairs •  Select Committee on U.S.
National Security and
Military/Commercial
Concerns with The People's
Republic of China
Quadrennial Defense Review

“150 days after new

President takes office”
February 2010

“In consultation with CJCS”

CJCS Assessment
Quadrennial Defense Review Report
2010 – Four Priority Objectives
1.  Prevail in today’s wars 
2.  Prevent and deter conflict 
3.  Prepare to defeat adversaries and 
succeed in a wide range of 
con;ngencies 
4.  Preserve and enhance the All‐
Volunteer Force 
Quadrennial Defense Review Report
2010 – 6 Key Missions
1.  Defend the United States and support civil 
authori;es at home; 
2.  Succeed in counterinsurgency, stability and 
counterterrorism opera;ons; 
3.  Build the capacity of partner states;  
4.  Deter and defeat aggression in an#‐access 
environments; 
5.  Prevent prolifera;on and counter weapons of 
mass destruc;on; and 
6.  Operate effec;vely in cyberspace 
•  National Defense Authorization
Act requires the Secretary of
Defense to submit an annual
report to Congress on China’s
current and future military
strategy, military-technological
development, and tenets of grand
strategy…
US Unified Commands AOR
3. The US as a Pacific Power
 Quadrennial 
Defense Review Report 2010
‘The foundation of our presence in Asia
remains our historical treaty alliances.
These alliances have helped maintain peace
and stability for more than sixty years,
particularly through the continued presence
of capable U.S. forces in the region, and we
remain steadfastly committed to the security
commitments embodied in these
agreements.’
National Security Strategy 2010

•  ‘Our alliances with Japan, South Korea,

Australia, the Philippines, and Thailand are
the bedrock of security in Asia and a
foundation of prosperity in the Asia-Pacific
region.’
•  Alliances with Japan and South Korea are
being modernized
Commander U.S. Pacific Command

•  Admiral Robert
Willard
•  PACOM Posture
Statements to House
and Senate Armed
Services Committees
(March 2010)
 U.S. Pacific Command Strategy

•  U.S. Pacific Command Strategy

•  Theater Security Cooperation Plan
–  CHODS – Chiefs of Defense Conference
–  MPAT - Multinational Planning and Augmentation
Team (MNF HQ SOPs)
–  Western Pacific Naval Symposium
–  CARAT - Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training
–  SEACAT – SE Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism
–  APCSS – Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies
 USS Michigan

USS Ohio

USS Florida

Three Nuclear Submarines Surface in July 2010 – Pusan, South

Korea; Subic Bay, Philippines and Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean
 U.S.-Japan Alliance

•  Cornerstone of U.S. strategy

•  Defense Policy Review Initiative
transformation and realignment
•  Guam International Agreement
•  New Japanese Prime Minister
•  Trilateral Security Dialogue
Relocation of Futenma Air Station
 U.S.-Korea Alliance
•  Presidents Obama and Lee met at G20 Summit,
London (March 2009)
•  Focus on North Korea
–  nuclear proliferation
–  Sinking of frigate
•  U.S. Forces Korea transformation
–  Consolidation south of Han river
–  Assumption of war-time operational control by 2015
 U.S.-China Relations
•  One China Policy but Taiwan Relations Act
–  Taiwan Strait contingencies
•  G2 meeting of Presidents Obama and Hu
Jintao on sidelines of G20 London Summit
•  Strategic and Economic Dialogue
–  State/Foreign Affairs and Treasury
•  Military-to-military relations suspended
 Taiwan Relations Act
•  It is U.S. policy ‘to provide Taiwan with
arms of a defensive character and to
maintain the capacity of the United States to
resist any resort to force or other forms of
coercion that would jeopardize the security,
or the social or economic system, of the
people of Taiwan’.
UNCLOS: Differing Interpretations
 Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence
Robert Scher, July 15
1.  Clearly demonstrating, by word and deed, that U.S.
forces will remain present and postured as the
preeminent military force in the region.
2.  Deliberate and calibrated assertions of our freedom
of navigation rights by U.S. Navy vessels
3.  Building stronger security relationships with partners
in the region at both policy and operational levels
4.  Strengthening the military-diplomatic mechanisms
we have with China to improve communications and
reduce risk of miscalculation
 QDR 2010 
China’s anti-access strategy
‘As part of its long‐term, comprehensive 
moderniza;on, China is developing and 
fielding large numbers of advanced 
medium‐range ballis;c and cruise missiles, 
new aQack submarines equipped with 
advanced weapons, increasingly capable 
long‐range air defense systems, electronic 
warfare and computer network aQack 
capabili;es, advanced fighter aircraT and 
counter‐space systems.’ 
 U.S.-India Relations
•  Presidents Obama and Singh met at G20
Summit, London (March 2009)
•  Evolving strategic partnership
•  US-India nuclear agreement
•  Defence sales, maritime security
cooperation, counter-terrorism, HA/DR
engagement
•  President Obama to visit in November
 ASEAN - ‘America is back’
•  Fifth largest market for U.S. exports in world
•  Secretary of State Clinton signed Treaty of
Amity and Cooperation (TAC) July 2009
•  Softening of hard line towards Myanmar
•  Appointment of resident ambassador to
ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta
•  Two US-ASEAN Leaders’ Meetings
 ASEAN Regional Forum
•  U.S. a founding member
•  Secretary of State Clinton attended ASEAN
Regional Forum in 2009
•  Encourage involvement in non-traditional
security threats such as maritime security,
terrorism, nonproliferation and cyber
security
 Non-NATO Major Allies

•  Philippines
–  Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines
–  Training, advising, assisting AFP in WOT
–  Improve health, education and economic opportunities
for communities in Mindanao
•  Thailand
–  Hosts Exercise COBRA GOLD
–  Engineering deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq
–  Free Trade Agreement under negotiation
Singapore: Major Security Partner
•  Free Trade Agreement (2004)
–  America’s tenth largest trading partner
•  Strategic Framework Agreement and Defence
Cooperation Agreement (July 2005)
–  Access to port and airfield facilities
–  to address common threats – terrorism, WMD
proliferation
–  Military training exercises, military science and
technology,
•  Participant in Proliferation Security Initiative and
Container Security Initiative
Prospective Security Partners
Indonesia

Malaysia

Vietnam
 USS John D. Stennis USS Jacksonville, Pacific
South China Sea - April 2009 Command - December 2009

USS George H.W. Bush, Norfolk, USS George Washington –South

Virginia, July 2010 China Sea off Da Nang – July 2010
 1st Joint Naval Engagement
Activities (Aug 2010)

15th Anniversary of US-Vietnam Diplomatic Relations

USS John S. McCain makes port call Da Nang
 Competing 
U.S. National Security Strategies

•  Primacy
•  Selective engagement
•  Cooperative security
•  Neo-isolationism
 The United States
as an Asia-Pacific Power
Professor Carl Thayer
Security Studies (Regional)
Australian Command and Staff College
October 12, 2010