US defence strategy puts China, Indo-Pacific first

Washington: The United States has placed China and the Indo-Pacific at the center of its national security planning, warning that control of the region will determine global economic power and directly shape America’s security, freedom, and prosperity, according to the 2026 National Defense Strategy released by the Department of War.

The strategy states that the Indo-Pacific “will soon make up more than half of the global economy,” making American access to the region a vital national interest. It cautions that if China or any other power were able to dominate the region, it would gain the ability to “effectively veto Americans’ access to the world’s economic center of gravity,” with long-term consequences for US economic strength and industrial revival.

Describing China as “already the second most powerful country in the world,” the document highlights the “speed, scale, and quality of China’s historic military buildup,” particularly forces designed for operations in the Western Pacific and beyond. While acknowledging China’s internal challenges, the strategy says Beijing has shown it can “spend even more on its military” and do so effectively.

Running into 26 pages, the unclassified version of the strategy emphasises that Washington’s objective is not confrontation or regime change, but preventing any single power from dominating the region. “Our goal is simple: To prevent anyone, including China, from being able to dominate us or our allies,” it states, adding that the United States does not seek to “dominate China,” nor to “strangle or humiliate them.”

Instead, the Pentagon says it will pursue what it describes as “deterrence by denial,” aimed at ensuring that aggression fails before it begins. As part of that approach, the United States will “erect a strong denial defense along the First Island Chain” and urge regional allies and partners to contribute more to collective defence.

The strategy stresses that the US military posture in the Indo-Pacific is designed to support diplomacy, not undermine it. “A decent peace, on terms favorable to Americans but that China can also accept and live under, is possible,” the document says, describing this as the premise of President Donald Trump’s approach to relations with Beijing.

At the same time, the Department of War says it will seek to expand military-to-military communication with the People’s Liberation Army to support “strategic stability,” “deconfliction,” and “de-escalation.” These engagements, it says, will be paired with a clear demonstration of US strength to ensure that American leaders can negotiate “from a position of strength.”

The strategy links the Indo-Pacific directly to domestic prosperity, arguing that US reindustrialization depends on secure access to regional markets and sea lanes.

While the document underscores a desire for stability, it also makes clear that the US military will retain the ability to conduct “devastating strikes and operations against targets anywhere in the world,” including directly from the US homeland, to ensure deterrence credibility.

The Indo-Pacific focus marks a clear prioritization as the United States seeks to balance global commitments. The strategy states that while other threats persist, defending the homeland and deterring China are the foremost missions shaping force posture and investment decisions.

In recent years, India has emerged as a central player in the Indo-Pacific, with growing economic weight and an expanding role in regional security discussions. US policymakers have increasingly described the region as the primary theater shaping 21st-century geopolitics.

China’s military modernization and territorial assertions in the Indo-Pacific have been a source of concern for several regional countries, prompting greater emphasis on balance-of-power strategies and multilateral cooperation to preserve stability and freedom of navigation.

IANS