Pentagon’s Defense Strategy Puts US Interests in Western Hemisphere as Top Priority

Deterring China in the Indo-Pacific region comes second in the Pentagon’s defense strategy.

The Pentagon in seen from the Washington Monument in Washington on Nov. 17, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

The Pentagon unveiled its latest National Defense Strategy on Jan. 23, which places the homeland defense and protection of U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere as the top priority over countering China.

According to the 34-page strategy, the Pentagon prioritizes securing U.S. borders and maritime domains, protecting the nation’s airspace, and ensuring “U.S. military and commercial access to key terrain,” including the Panama Canal, the Gulf of America, and Greenland.