Introduction
Towardtheendofhisfirstterm,PresidentBarackObama’selectionpromisetoreducetheAmericanmilitarypresenceintheMiddleEastandAfghanistanledtoageneralre-evaluationofpriorities.Whateventuatedwasaseriesofphrasestodescribethenewforeignpolicyposture.Theseincluded“rebalancingtoAsia“,the“pivottoAsia“andthe“pivottothePacific“.
ThetwoprincipaldriversofthenewposturewereidentifiedbythenSecretaryofStateHillaryClintoninakeyNovember2011ForeignPolicyarticleaswindingdownofthemilitaryengagementsinIraqandAfghanistanthe“newglobalrealities“oftheAsia-PacificCentury.ThejuxtapositionofthetwoelementsgavetheAmericanpolicyobjectivesabalanceofpowerorientationwithamilitaryemphasis.Thelogicof“rebalancing“thebalanceofpowerintheAsia-PacificinthewakeofthegrowingascendencyofChinaisbasicInternationalRelations101.TherepositioningofUSmilitaryassetsintothePacifichasalltheessentialcharacteristicsofclassicgeopoliticalbalanceofpowertheory.AconservativeAmericanthinktankphrasedthepivottoAsiainjustthesetermsinarecentassessmentwhenitconcluded,“themostsignificantproblemfortheUnitedStatesinAsiatodayisChina’s
risingpower,influence,andexpectationsofregionalpre-eminence.“
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