After more than a century of focusing predominantly across the Atlantic, the Pentagon is shifting its strategy for the future. Military experts are building up U.S. forces in the Pacific, as future conflicts may arise over Taiwan or North Korea.
In the Pentagon's most recent Quadrennial Defense Review, a military forecast delivered to Congress, the report warned that "China has the greatest potential to compete militarily with the United States." That is largely because China is rapidly upgrading its military.
The Bush administration says China is hiding much of its military budget -- along with its intentions.
NPR's John Hendren recently visited the Pacific Command's headquarters in Hawaii, and a military exercise near Guam, to review how U.S. forces are implementing the Pentagon's plan.
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