The U.S. war against Iran is having a profound impact far away from the battlefield, all the way on the other side of Asia in the Western Pacific. There's an emerging consensus among Washington's allies and foes alike that the U.S. will be incapable, unwilling, or a mix of both to fight a war against China in this part of the world.

That's prompting a rapid reevaluation of security postures across the region, a shift on full display over the past week: Australia moving to bolster security ties in the South Pacific and Japan building what many see as a new security architecture for the post-American order.

Derek Grossman, CGSP's non-resident fellow for the Asia-Pacific and a professor of international relations at the University of Southern California, joins Eric to discuss the week's key events in the South China Sea, South Pacific, and Japan's latest moves to build a new intelligence agency.

📌 Topics Covered in This Episode

South China Sea tribunal at 10
China's Pacific missile test
Japan's security shift
Philippines vs. Vietnam on China
U.S. alliances under Trump
Asia's changing security landscape

Show Notes:

The China-Global South Project: Japan Emerges as Asia's New Strategic Anchor by Derek Grossman
Nikkei Asia: Vietnam's new balancing act in an unbalanced world by Derek Grossman
International Crisis Group: Manila's Push for a New Rulebook in the South China Sea Peters Out by Derek Grossman

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The New Security Landscape Taking Shape in Asia

The China-Global South Podcast

The New Security Landscape Taking Shape in Asia