America’s Pivot to the Pacific

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The Pentagon has been trying to pivot to the Pacific for years now. Under President Donald Trump 2.0, who is focused on China, it just might happen. It’s a complicated body of water with dozens of players and a bloody history. One where Beijing is increasingly asserting itself.
Here to walk us through some of it is Angry Planet producer and Honolulu Star-Advertiser reporter Kevin Knodell. He’s just back from the Philippines where he spent two weeks reporting on a joint exercise between the U.S. and its allies in the Pacific.
Balikatan
Training exercises as signalling
How 40 years of Balikatan tells the story of U.S.-Philippines relations
“There are definitely some places where it is about the fish.”
The Chinese Maritime Militia
Duterte vs Marcos in 2025
Why America doesn’t understand China
Russia’s imperial history in the Pacific (Kevin misspoke here, it’s Fort Elizabeth not Fort Alexandria)
Why people like Pete Hegseth
The Nine-Dash line
The century of humiliation
Checking up on Red Hill
Hawaii troops forge alliances in Philippines
Army, allies ponder Pacific role
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