The United States is a Pacific nation in terms of our history, our culture, our economy, and our national security.

I have enjoyed a continuous personal involvement in Asian and Pacific affairs that long predates my time in the Senate.  I have worked and traveled throughout this vast region, from Micronesia to Burma, for nearly four decades, as a Marine Corps officer, a defense planner, a journalist, a novelist, a Department of Defense executive, and as a business consultant. As Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia and Pacific Affairs, I appreciate the opportunity to help our country become engaged in Asia. I look forward to doing all that I can to strengthen relations between our country and the countries in this region.

The Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs oversees United States relations with countries in East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Rim, and Oceana.  The subcommittee also oversees regional organizations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

I look forward to utilizing my chairmanship to increase our dialogue with Asian nations, forge new economic opportunities, and strengthen U.S. relations in the region.

My observations and recommendations on military basing plans in East Asia can be found here.