Ely Ratner Quoted in The New York Times

Ely Ratner, a former U.S. assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs under President Joseph R. Biden Jr., suggested in a recent essay in Foreign Affairs that the United States and its allies in Asia should form a collective defense pact, similar to NATO. That would pose major challenges in an era of international distrust, however, when Americans are unsure about whether their nation should continue to play a major role in world affairs.

In an interview, Mr. Ratner said the main question now was whether partners in the region would continue to accelerate their plans with the United States to deter and balance China.“Staying in place won’t be enough,” he said. “They also need to be willing to do more, because China will not be staying in place.”

New York Times
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