Subject: Re: Called this one
Sadly, we've not done much in the Pacific for a long time. I don't get the "abandoned the region" and the implication that China was somehow ignored by Trump; all the man did was talk about China and the threat they pose...to much criticism from the democrats, I'll add.

Dope, he essentially did. Shinzo Abe put together the Quad, US-Japan-India-Australia, then the Ausies walked. IIRC Chenywas at the first meeting. For a while it was going to be US-Japan-Australia, then back to the Quad. There was diplomacy going on under Obama about it too, but once the Aussies came back it moved. We got the Aussie contract for Nuclear Subs away from the French, remember?

As Much as Trump talked about China, and he did, I'm glad he didn't get in the way of the Quad, because he doesn't like alliances. I'm reading his people want to get out of NATO, and these alliances are going to become critical going forward because we won't always be top dog. I don't think Trump or you understand that.