Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Shared Threats – Indo-Pacific Alliances and Burden Sharing in Today’s Geopolitical Environment

By: Randall Schriver | SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE |

On March 26, Project 2049 Institute Chairman Randall Schriver testified at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing. He emphasized the strategic necessity of strong partnerships to overcome the “tyranny of time and distance” in the Western Pacific. Noting the geographic advantages held by China, Russia, and North Korea, Schriver argued that U.S. allies should invest in their own defense, provide access and basing for U.S. forces, and contribute to a rules-based regional order. He urged a broader and more nuanced view of burden sharing—one that considers defense spending and support for dispersal logistics, civil defense, and military-adjacent capabilities such as coast guard development. Citing examples from Taiwan, the Philippines, Japan, and Singapore, he warned that outdated metrics obscure vital contributions and called Congress to modernize alliance policy and oversight accordingly.

Watch the full hearing at Senate Foreign Relations Committee