Could a distracted US cast Asia Pacific allies adrift?

(Ha Eun Choi, Scott de Marchi, Max Gallop, Shahryar Minhas – East Asia Forum) With the US–Israeli war against Iran, Asia Pacific democracies are once again confronting a United States distracted by military commitments in the Middle East. US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan offer historical precedent, where authoritarian and hybrid regimes drifted closer to China and Russia and democracies remained aligned with Washington. But the current conflict is unfolding differently due to its rapid economic fallout, China’s cautious response and growing doubts over the credibility of US commitments, placing the very foundation of democratic alignment in the Asia Pacific into question. – Could a distracted US cast Asia Pacific allies adrift? | East Asia Forum