“This way we are able to have troops and naval forces all over the Pacific Ocean to deter agression from China.”
Exactly right. China is beginning to act in the Pacific just like Japan did leading up to WWII.
They're making a big diplomatic push with all the ASEAN countries to try to get the South China Sea divvied up (China's way) and declared a territorial sea and mare clausum.
Which, to extend the Latinity, would be casus belli with the United States and the military rubber match on LOST as well. We will have to use force, to enforce the old Law of the Sea and Admiralty Law, in lieu of the corrupt, kleptocratic dog's breakfast the UN's rogues, thieves, mass-murderers, and cheese-eating surrender monkeys have been cooking up in a back room.