In light of the growing influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the Indo-Pacific, it is imperative for the United States to devote as much attention to the defense of its Pacific territories as it does to the defense of its states, said a former National Security Council (NSC) director during an oversight hearing organized by the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs on May 16.
“Washington needs to begin prioritizing the defense of U.S. Pacific territories and possessions, the same way we would address those same actions against a U.S. state,” Alexander Gray, the first-ever director for Oceania and Indo-Pacific security at the NSC, told the subcommittee. Gray served in the position during the Trump administration. He is currently a Managing Partner of American Global Strategies, LLC.
