“The challenge with China is to build up military strength in the Western Pacific to confront it.”
That is one (there are others) of the doubts everyone from Tokyo to Canberra has re the US. As in - will they? The Biden administration had committed to this buildup but has not really gotten anywhere. The Trump admin has said nothing. If they do, what will they say? Will it all be a sacrifice to the Hegseth 8% annual reduction?
The 3:00am choice will be whether or not to send in the fleets when China finally blockades Taiwan. (or seriously bombards it, or seriously bombards the Philippines). Will Trump blink?
The deal with China is to be in a position to block the sea lanes if China attacks Taiwan to impose a sea lane economic blockade of China.
Other indirect military fronts against China through the civil war in Myanmar and jihadists in western China all that drama about persecution of Uyghur Muslims in China designed to incite jihadists grow terrorism in Central Asia in the direction of China.