...a British Admiral mentioned being asked such questions in his conversations with the movers and shakers over there, a question he had not ever heard before.. He mentioned that in the past it had always been, "WHEN will the US come ....?"
I guess the Brit forgot they were the ones that pulled out and we stayed.
Even the article notes that he is exaggerating. A trade agreement, even an important one like the TPP, is not going to upend over 60 years relations with our most important allies in the Far East whether we sign it or not, especially ones based on longstanding defense treaties and with thousands of troops stationed in those countries.
and then this, involving the buildup of submarine forces in the region:
http://warontherocks.com/2016/08/asias-looming-subsurface-challenge/
"Countries in Asia are seeking credible deterrence forces as their confidence wanes regarding the peacefulness of China’s rise and the reliability of U.S. commitment to preserve stability."
The biggest reason more and more Asian countries are investing in submarines is that they can afford them now. Two generations ago most of East Asia was firmly in the third world when today some are among the leading economies of the world and others are rapidly expanding. A submarine force, much less a trained and credible one which a lot of new submarine forces, is a more of a 'luxury' item for most militaries in terms of need and cost. So while some folks may have subs that doesnt' necessarily mean they are a force to be recokened with, just ask the Argentinians how well theirs did in '82.
Also, that chart is way too optimistic. Thailand and the Philippines with subs?! Maybe pier side....
I'm seeing more and more commentary from various sources expressing the same line of thought. This sort of thing will take a lot of work to overcome...
I have seen plenty of commentary too but far too much of it is ill-informed and fits into some sort of narrative that the author or publication espouses. Even Jerry Hendrix, CAPT, USN (ret) who has gained a lot of notice for writing about carriers and subs lately, seems to have an axe grind when it comes to carriers and backs up his commentary with misleading info.
And then there is the focus of some of these folks, many of whom look only to Asia since they specialize or live there when the US has to look globally from Europe to the Middle East and then East and South Asia too. Skepticism of our presence there has abounded since we first sailed there in 1800's and won't abate any time soon.