Senate Foreign Relations Committee hears bipartisan calls to bolster Indo‑Pacific alliances, aid and access

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Oct. 12 heard bipartisan testimony urging expanded U.S. political, military and economic engagement across the Indo‑Pacific to deter Chinese coercion and strengthen allied burden sharing.

Chairman Jim Risch opened the hearing by saying China had “rapidly escalate[d] its aggressive actions against Taiwan, Japan, The Philippines, Australia, and other countries in the Indo Pacific,” and framed the session around how Washington and its partners can build “alliances that are fit and up to this task.” Ranking Member Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said the challenges from China extend beyond Asia and described U.S. alliances as “one of our greatest security assets.”

The hearing drew testimony from three outside experts who told lawmakers the United States should measure burden sharing more broadly than a single defense‑spending percentage and should pair military cooperation with economic and information‑space engagement.

Randy Schriver, chairman of the board at the Project 2049 Institute and a former assistant secretary of defense for Indo‑Pacific affairs, told the committee that strong alliances compensate for “the tyranny of time and distance” faced by U.S. forces in the Western Pacific. “Strong alliances and partnerships are the best way to combat this tyranny of time and distance,” Schriver said, arguing for crediting host‑nation access,…