Sep 12, 2026 · 56 min · 10 segments
Why does U.S. foreign policy stay stuck even when Washington knows its prioritieshave changed? As China becomes the central long-term challenge, the United States remains heavily committed to the…
Christopher S. ChivvisGuest
Reid SmithHost
Chart WestcottGuest
Sasha SternHost
Every president since Obama has promised to shift American attention towards Asia.
So my question is, is the pivot to Asia possible? What does America need to stop doing to pivot to Asia? Or is that just like a false hope?
I mean, by pivot to Asia, do you mean that Asia becomes the sole focus of US foreign policy? Do you mean that it becomes the priority focus of US foreign policy? the priority.
So, I mean, look, what would it mainly take? The biggest thing for me is a significant drawdown in our engagement and commitment, especially militarily in the Middle East.
I think, you know, there are a number of people who come from, you know, pretty traditional foreign policy backgrounds who have recognized now for as long as a decade that we really need to do something about the depth of our engagement in the Middle East, that we are too deeply engaged given the fact that our major interests in the region have been in secular decline now for decades.
But if we can do that, that will free up not just military resources, that we can use to address what is a really complicated challenge in the form of China, but also political resources, which is really almost as important here.
We're talking about the time of our most senior leaders, the amount of time that they spend thinking about China, that they spend in going and talking to the countries of Asia and their leaders, the amount of time that they spend in direct diplomacy with China's own leaders.
So there are a range of ways in which withdrawing a substantial amount of American military power from the Middle East could allow us to actually accomplish that pivot.
Ideally, there would be some of each, but for me, I think the big opportunity is the Middle East.
I think just the depth of our interest there is so out of line with the amount of time that we spend fighting wars there.
Every president since Obama has promised to shift American attention towards Asia.
So my question is, is the pivot to Asia possible? What does America need to stop doing to pivot to Asia? Or is that just like a false hope?
I mean, by pivot to Asia, do you mean that Asia becomes the sole focus of US foreign policy? Do you mean that it becomes the priority focus of US foreign policy? the priority.
So, I mean, look, what would it mainly take? The biggest thing for me is a significant drawdown in our engagement and commitment, especially militarily in the Middle East.
I think, you know, there are a number of people who come from, you know, pretty traditional foreign policy backgrounds who have recognized now for as long as a decade that we really need to do something about the depth of our engagement in the Middle East, that we are too deeply engaged given the fact that our major interests in the region have been in secular decline now for decades.
But if we can do that, that will free up not just military resources, that we can use to address what is a really complicated challenge in the form of China, but also political resources, which is really almost as important here.
We're talking about the time of our most senior leaders, the amount of time that they spend thinking about China, that they spend in going and talking to the countries of Asia and their leaders, the amount of time that they spend in direct diplomacy with China's own leaders.
So there are a range of ways in which withdrawing a substantial amount of American military power from the Middle East could allow us to actually accomplish that pivot.
Ideally, there would be some of each, but for me, I think the big opportunity is the Middle East.
I think just the depth of our interest there is so out of line with the amount of time that we spend fighting wars there.
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