America’s Pivot to the Pacific
Angry Planet23 Maj 2025

America’s Pivot to the Pacific

Listen to this episode commercial free at https://angryplanetpod.com


The Pentagon has been trying to pivot to the Pacific for years now. Under President Donald Trump 2.0, who is focused on China, it just might happen. It’s a complicated body of water with dozens of players and a bloody history. One where Beijing is increasingly asserting itself.


Here to walk us through some of it is Angry Planet producer and Honolulu Star-Advertiser reporter Kevin Knodell. He’s just back from the Philippines where he spent two weeks reporting on a joint exercise between the U.S. and its allies in the Pacific.

  • Balikatan

  • Training exercises as signalling
  • How 40 years of Balikatan tells the story of U.S.-Philippines relations
  • “There are definitely some places where it is about the fish.”
  • The Chinese Maritime Militia
  • Duterte vs Marcos in 2025
  • Why America doesn’t understand China
  • Russia’s imperial history in the Pacific (Kevin misspoke here, it’s Fort Elizabeth not Fort Alexandria)
  • Why people like Pete Hegseth
  • The Nine-Dash line
  • The century of humiliation
  • Checking up on Red Hill


Hawaii troops forge alliances in Philippines


Army, allies ponder Pacific role

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