Tensions with China are high, North Korea is testing nuclear warheads, and the Philippines is distancing itself. Professor Oriana Skylar Mastro explores the complicated web of U.S. trade and military relations in Asia and highlights potential challenges.

For More on this Topic:

• Check out her two-page brief, Japan, the United States, and the Shifting Balance of Air Power in Northeast Asia.
• Read her article on China's military transparency as mentioned in the episode.

Further Reading:

• Can Countries Overcome Distrust by Affirming Rather than Downplaying National Identities?, Eun Bin Chung, University of Utah
• Is Military Aid an Effective Tool for U.S. Foreign Policy?, Patricia L. Sullivan, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill