The only remaining U.S. aircraft carrier patrolling the Pacific departed Asia through Singapore last week en route to the Middle East, marking the latest step in a steady drawdown of American military assets across the region, reports Michael Wilner for the LA Times.
The Trump administration’s snub of South Korea has America’s allies in Asia rethinking how much they can depend on the U.S. — and looking to each other to reduce their reliance on Washington, reports Phelim Kine at Politico.
Trump said this week he is cutting back joint military exercises with South Korea, and announced Wednesday that he will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year. That is pushing countries in Asia to accelerate their defence spending and forge alternate partnerships, according to Asian diplomats and others familiar with discussions among regional governments.