--- description: The Pentagon has reportedly backed a proposal to support U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific region with 7.5 billion dollars title: Pentagon Backs $7.5 Billion Military Spending Boost in Asia image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0ca1d9995c9f40f7/6988cc527cdbac428fd58415/gettyimages-678117738.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Military](/tag/military/) ## Military Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Pentagon Backs a $7.5 Billion Plan to Boost U.S. Military Presence in Asia-Pacific, Report Says by [Feliz Solomon](/author/feliz-solomon/) ## Feliz Solomon Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 8, 2017 4:16 AM CUT  Korean destroyers patrol with the USS Carl Vinson strike group in the western Pacific Ocean on May 3, 2017. Korean destroyers patrol with the USS Carl Vinson strike group in the western Pacific Ocean on May 3, 2017.Z.A. Landers—U.S. Navy/Getty Images by [Feliz Solomon](/author/feliz-solomon/) ## Feliz Solomon Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 8, 2017 4:16 AM CUT The Pentagon has reportedly backed a proposal to support [U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific](https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-wants-to-spend-added-billions-on-military-in-asia-1494189492 "undefined") region with some $7.5 billion in investments to boost infrastructure, exercises, troop deployment and naval assets. The _Wall Street Journal_ reports that the plan, first proposed by Senator John McCain, is supported in principle by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and head of the U.S. Pacific Command Admiral Harry Harris, though details have not yet been developed. “I don’t understand all the details in Senator McCain’s plan, but I support the themes that he outlined and the importance he assigned to that region,” the _Journal_ quoted Mattis as saying during a recent Congressional hearing. The so-called Asia-Pacific Stability Initiative is viewed as an attempt to boost confidence in America’s commitment to the region in response to heightened tensions between the U.S. and North Korea and in light of President Donald Trump’s shift away from [his predecessor’s](http://time.com/4463146/next-president-asia-policy/ "undefined") “rebalance” to Asia policy. **Read More:** [_Moon Jae-in: The South Korean Negotiator up for the Most Difficult Job in the World_ ](http://time.com/4766618/moon-jae-in-the-negotiator/?xid=homepage&pcd=hp-magmod "undefined") Enhancing U.S. military presence in the region is likely to reassure allies South Korea and Japan, though it may require diplomatic massaging with China, which sees American assets in Asia as a threat to its own interests, according to the _Journal_. The Trump administration has requested a $54 billion increase in military spending for the next fiscal year, though it is unclear where that money will be allocated and how supporters of the Asia initiative plan to secure funding. The plan is to be rolled out over the next five years_._ \[[_WSJ_](https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-wants-to-spend-added-billions-on-military-in-asia-1494189492 "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4770196/pentagon-asia-pacific-military-spending/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4770196/pentagon-asia-pacific-military-spending/"},"headline":"Pentagon Backs a $7.5 Billion Plan to Boost U.S. Military Presence in Asia-Pacific, Report Says","datePublished":"2017-05-08T04:16:46.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T04:47:37.222Z","description":"The so-called Asia-Pacific Stability Initiative is viewed as an attempt to boost confidence in America’s commitment to the region","url":"https://time.com/4770196/pentagon-asia-pacific-military-spending/","keywords":["Military","Asia","Korean Peninsula","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0ca1d9995c9f40f7/6988cc527cdbac428fd58415/gettyimages-678117738.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Feliz Solomon","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/feliz-solomon/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0ca1d9995c9f40f7/6988cc527cdbac428fd58415/gettyimages-678117738.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Strike Force Patrols Western Pacific Ocean","caption":"Strike Force Patrols Western Pacific Ocean","creditText":"Z.A. Landers—U.S. Navy/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/military/","name":"Military"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4770196/pentagon-asia-pacific-military-spending/","name":"Pentagon Backs a $7.5 Billion Plan to Boost U.S. Military Presence in Asia-Pacific, Report Says"}}]}] ```