Hudson Institute Report Assesses Major Growth in China's Military Capabilities, Likely Consequences for U.S. Presence in the Asia-Pacific Region

WASHINGTON, June 20, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hudson Institute has released a new report, "The Rebalance to Asia: What Are Its Security Aims and What Is Required of U.S. Policy," by Hudson scholar Seth Cropsey.

In the report, Cropsey examines the diplomatic and security measures with which the Obama administration has sought to execute the American 'Rebalance to Asia.'  The report details the rapidly changing military balance in Asia, and examines the causes and effects of China's increasingly assertive policies in the region.

Cropsey notes that the Administration's actions in the Western Pacific, thus far, exhibit "weak signals" of resolve compared to the double-digit increases in China's military budget, despite the U.S. Navy's pledge to increase the share of the U.S. combat fleet devoted to the Western Pacific from 50 to 60 percent. The study points out that the low probability of funding at the level the Navy would require to carry out its future shipbuilding plan dissolves whatever benefit might have been enjoyed by increasing the ratio of ships deployed to the Western Pacific.

Cropsey recommends that if the 'Rebalance to Asia' is to become more than a "toothless slogan," the United States should: 

—Substantially increase its naval presence in the Asia-Pacific region;

—Strengthen the defenses of its current bases in the region; and,

—Conduct sensible alliance management.

Such a course, Cropsey writes, would ensure that the "Rebalance to Asia will not remain an exercise in good intentions," but rather an effective strategy that "can protect America's interest in a stable Asia."

The full report may found on Hudson Institute's website at: http://bit.ly/RebalancetoAsia  

Hudson Institute is an independent research organization founded in 1961 that promotes new ideas for the advancement of global security, prosperity and freedom. www.hudson.org.

For more information:
Carolyn Stewart
[email protected]
(202) 974-6456

SOURCE Hudson Institute