Two-hundred 200 U.S. Marines were deployed to Australia this month as part of President Barack Obama's decision to substantially increase America's military commitment in Southeast Asia. Current plans have this number increasing to 2,500, as part of the administration's five-year commitment to forward deployment in this region.
The Marines will be stationed at Robertson Barracks, at the edge of the city of Darwin, in the far north of Australia. U.S. forces will be about 400 miles from Indonesia, the most-populous Muslim country in the world, where Obama lived for several years as a boy. Notably, Obama's personal knowledge of the region is higher than any of his predecessors in the White House. When he visited the University of Indonesia in November 2010, he demonstrated his command of the local language several times in his keynote speech, including the heart-felt statement, "I'm home."
In recent years, China has been increasing its presence in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, exerting influence over nervous neighbors. China claims the entire South China Sea as its sovereign territory. For the U.S. to remain a "Pacific power," a firm response to these actions is needed.
Obama's decision to open a new front against China in Australia is a bold move, which could escalate competition with Beijing.
At present, there are no permanent U.S. bases in Australia, a point which Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard stressed in her press release welcoming the Marines. However, it is unclear how long this limitation will be maintained. For now, the US can make do with permanent access to the bases and facilities of the Australian armed forces. US forces will not be limited to Darwin, but eventually will be deployed to other locations within the Northern Territories and Western Australia.
Drone-launching facilities appear to be on the near-term agenda, as well.
Australia will be completing a new military base on the Cocos Islands, halfway between the Australian mainland and Sri Lanka. Such a location could be used quite effectively by the U.S. to deploy surveillance drones and other unmanned aircraft. The Obama administration's foreign policy has become increasing dependent on the use of drones in combat situations, either by military forces or the CIA.
The strategic relationship between the U.S. and Australia is mutually beneficial. On the one hand, with Beijing acquiring submarines, missiles and other weaponry, Australian military planners have become more jittery. On the other, Australia and the U.S. have had a formal military alliance for more than six decades, and Australia is the only ally the U.S. has in the increasingly important Indian Ocean.
However, Australia must walk a very fine line.
Despite the tensions and anxieties caused by Beijing's growing military reach, China remains the most important trading partner for Australian businessmen and famers. As a result, Australia will want to indulge Washington's desires, but not offend their Chinese customers and investors.
Fortunately, Gillard is on good terms with the American president.
As she remarked to friends last week, "I'm good mates with Barack Obama. I tell him, 'You think it's tough being African-American? Try being me. Try being an atheist, childless, single woman as prime minister.'"
Gillard is a colorful figure in Australian politics, having attracted much notoriety for her refusal to swear her oath of office on the Bible, preferring a simple affirmation. She then went on to move into her official government residence with her boyfriend.
Regardless of the personal chemistry (or lack thereof) between national leaders, national interest will continue to drive foreign policy decisions in the 21st century.
The Obama administration must fashion a comprehensive response to the challenges being posed in a rapidly evolving world. However, Obama must respond to these developments in a way that will lower, rather than raise, tensions.
Will China come to dominate Asia? What proper role should America play in countering or limiting the growing assertiveness of Beijing? Should China's assertive claims of maritime sovereignty be acknowledged and accepted, or rebuffed?
The Asia-Pacific region will remain a strategic priority for the U.S. for decades. It is the most dynamic area of the world, according to the U.S. ambassador in Australia, Jeffrey Bleich. The high levels of economic growth and expanding prosperity in the region means that its continued stability is of great importance to Washington.
In the recent past, America was able to maintain its influence relatively easily, projecting power into the region as necessary. Beijing wishes to make such casual displays more difficult, and more costly.
Conflict in Asia could lead to the closing of important maritime trade routes that would quickly undermine recent efforts to restart economic growth in the West. Fragile economies in North America and Europe would find it difficult to withstand the closure of Asian markets.
Although Obama's willingness to significantly expand American military commitments may come as a surprise to many of his 2008 supporters who believed that they were voting for a renunciation of American unilateralism, his actions and policies sit comfortably within a bipartisan tradition that goes back over 30 years.
There are clearly tremendous risks in Obama's assertiveness, but hopefully he has the good judgment to sail the treacherous course that may be approaching.