The Historic U.S. Defense Budget Request Needs a Sound Indo-Pacific Policy

The U.S. fiscal year 2027 defense budget of $1.45 trillion, the largest since WWII, allocates significant resources to the Indo-Pacific but faces criticism for lacking a coherent long-term strategy. President Trump's recent summit with China yielded minimal policy outcomes, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's testimony failed to address critical questions about U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy.