The US-Japan-Australia Trilateral Against the Backdrop of US Grand Strategy

Abstract

While US-Japan-Australia trilateralism is but a single feature of overall US regional and alliance policy, it is a strong trend leader and indicative of the future of US alliance policy in the region. It’s incremental and evolutionary nature—going back to the second Bush administration—matches China’s own salami-slicing tactics in the Western Pacific. While the Trump administration is yet to decide on a clear Asia Pacific strategy, it is likely that they will seek to combine the tools at hand in the region—US alliances—to help secure “comprehensive national power” in the face of China’s rise.