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FEDERALhearing transcript

High Impact

Senate Hearing on U.S. Defense Policy in the Asia-Pacific

Original title: AN INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE OF UNITED STATES DEFENSE POLICY IN THE ASIA- PACIFIC REGION

January 1, 2017

defense policy Asia-Pacific military strategy China national security foreign relations

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The Frame

What this does

This hearing informs potential future changes to U.S. military force structure, resource allocation, and strategic posture in the Asia-Pacific region based on an independent assessment of current capability gaps.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

U.S. Department of Defense

The department is responsible for implementing the rebalance strategy and addressing the capability gaps identified in the report.

Asia-Pacific allied nations

These nations are involved in the U.S. rebalance through military access agreements and regional cooperation.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2017.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing to review an independent assessment of U.S. defense strategy in the Asia-Pacific region. The report, conducted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), evaluates the effectiveness of the U.S. '' strategy and addresses concerns regarding military modernization in China.

Key Facts

The hearing reviewed an independent assessment of the U.S. 'rebalance' to the Asia-Pacific, mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015.
The CSIS report concluded that the Obama administration lacked a clear, coherent, or consistent rebalance strategy.
China has reclaimed 3,200 acres of land in the Spratly Islands, an increase from 400 acres reported one year prior.
The committee discussed China's military reorganization aimed at modernizing joint warfare capabilities.
The U.S. rebalance strategy includes initiatives like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and increased military access to the Philippines, Australia, Singapore, and Vietnam.

Why It Matters

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was this hearing held?

The hearing was held to review an independent assessment of U.S. defense policy in the Asia-Pacific, as required by the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act.

What is the 'rebalance' to the Asia-Pacific?

It is a U.S. foreign policy strategy aimed at increasing diplomatic, economic, and military engagement in the Asia-Pacific region.

What concerns were raised about China?

The committee and the report highlighted China's rapid military modernization and extensive activities in the South China Sea.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Transparency Gap

The committee noted that public awareness of Chinese land reclamation was driven by an independent think tank (CSIS) rather than official U.S. government intelligence releases.

Center for Strategic and International Studies U.S. Government

Connected Entities

personXi Jinping“President of China”Map →

personJohn McCain“Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee”Map →

personMichael J. Green“Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair at CSIS”Map →

organizationSenate Armed Services Committee“Congressional committee overseeing the hearing”Map →

personThomas L. Conant“Lieutenant General (Ret.), former Deputy Commander of U.S. Pacific Command”Map →

organizationCenter for Strategic and International Studies“Independent research organization that conducted the defense review”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance80
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy65
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment20
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz30
Current news / social attention level

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