Policy memo to the President on Sino-American relationships Essay

Policy memo to the President on Sino-American relationships - Essay Example One of the greatest challenges facing the US is possibility of nuclear attacks from defiant North Korea and similar attacks on US allies such as South Korea and Japan. The United States bilateral partnerships with East Asia nations like Japan aim at defending such nations in case of military confrontation from hostile neighbors (Shambaugh, 2013). Another challenge facing the US in East Asia is the increased integration and cooperation of East Asia countries in trade and formation of regional economic blocs that determine the trade flows in the region (Lin & Roy, 2010). The rise of China as an economic and military power has dwindled the influence of United States in geopolitical issues affecting East Asia. China has the potential to influence East Asia trading activities and determine the capacity of the US to find strategic partners and allies in the region (Shambaugh, 2013). Nationalism, unresolved historical issues and territorial borders is another challenge that limits the abili ty of the US to interfere with East Asia issues (Lin & Roy, 2010). Territorial border tensions have fueled military confrontation and led to high military build-up and spending by some East Asia nations thus limiting their capability to focus on trade and investment spending. In this case, the US must use a careful and diplomatic approach in its comments relating to territorial disputes in order to avoid diplomatic tensions in the region (Shambaugh, 2013).