The White House announced that it will retreat to the Western Hemisphere, letting Japan and South Korea take on the burden of confronting China, and a strategic document has been released!
On the evening of December 4, 2025, the White House quietly released the new "National Security Strategy" report. This 33-page document marks a significant shift in the United States' global strategic focus — no longer attempting to "address multiple challenges simultaneously," but rather clearly placing the Western Hemisphere as the primary area of security concern. According to the content of the document, future U.S. military deployments, resource allocations, and diplomatic priorities will revolve around "reaffirming and implementing the Monroe Doctrine."
The so-called "Monroe Doctrine" can be traced back to 1823, with its core idea being "The Americas are for the Americans," essentially a principle that excludes external powers from intervening in Western Hemisphere affairs and establishes U.S. dominance.
Although this document does not use words like "withdraw" or "abandon," it conveys a clear signal through budget allocation and troop deployment adjustments: the United States is shifting from a global forward deployment model to a "centered on the Western Hemisphere" contraction defense architecture. Japan and South Korea will now have a heavier burden.
At the same time, while the document still uses the rhetoric of "Indo-Pacific importance," the practical implementation reveals a clear intention of "shifting responsibilities." It explicitly requires "allies within the first island chain to take greater defense responsibilities," and specifically mentions that Japan and South Korea need to "enhance their own deterrent capabilities, increase defense spending, and strengthen joint response mechanisms."
Recently, the U.S. Marine Corps has begun to move some troops originally stationed in Okinawa to Guantanamo and Florida; in terms of the Air Force, two B-1B bomber squadrons originally deployed in Guam have already moved to bases in Texas and Arizona by the end of 2024; internal Pentagon documents also show that by 2026, the number of permanent vessels under the Pacific Command is planned to decrease by about 15%, while the frequency of maritime patrols by the Southern Command is planned to increase by 40%.
Data shows that the U.S. military aid budget for Japan and South Korea in fiscal year 2025 has been reduced by 12% and 9% respectively, while funding for the Southern Command, which is responsible for Latin American affairs, has increased by 18%. It's hard to imagine what Japan and South Korea are feeling at this moment?
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1850723537372233/
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