Daniel R. Russel: “We deter North Korea through a strong defensive military posture rooted in our alliances with South Korea and Japan.”

This is a defensive measure aimed not at China but at North Korea.

The U.S. is a Pacific nation, and our future is inextricably intertwined with the growth of the Pacific region.

The tremendous pressure that we have applied through both multilateral and national sanctions has generated serious headwinds for the DPRK regime.

I believe that a withdrawal of the U.S. presence from the South China Sea would result in a tactical accommodation by the countries of Southeast Asia with China.