NAVAL POWER & POLICY: RED STAR OVER THE PACIFIC

NAVAL POWER & POLICY: RED STAR OVER THE PACIFIC

From A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast by A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast

June 2, 2026 · 38 min · Episode 505

About this episode

The episode discusses China's transformation into a dominant naval power and the strategic choices the U.S. must make in response.

How has China transformed into a dominant naval power, and what strategic choices must the U.S. make to protect its interests in the Pacific? Toshi Yoshihara and James Holmes join Ron Granieri to discuss the third edition of Red Star Over the Pacific, which answers those very questions. The authors explain how Beijing synthesizes Western and Eastern strategic ideas to expand its maritime reach. Crucially, the conversation moves beyond simple threat assessments to explore how the United States should respond. Yoshihara and Holmes emphasize that the U.S. must maintain its unrivaled regional alliances, exploit competitive undersea strengths, and enforce strict strategic discipline to counter China's growing naval challenge. China's quest for control in the maritime domain is driven both by a weird combination of both confidence and insecurity. James Holmes, PhD, is the inaugural holder of the J.C. Wiley Chair of Maritime Strategy at the U.S. Naval War College and previously served on the faculty of the University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs. A former U.S. Navy surface warfare officer, he also earned a PhD from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts…

People in this episode

Host: Ron Granieri

Guests: Toshi Yoshihara, James Holmes

Topics covered

  • naval power
  • U.S. strategy
  • China
  • maritime security
  • regional alliances

Keywords

  • naval power
  • China
  • U.S. strategy
  • maritime reach
  • regional alliances
  • undersea strengths
  • strategic discipline

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: U.S. Naval War College, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments

Books & works: Red Star Over the Pacific

Places: China, United States, Pacific

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