Origins of the First Island Chain concept

Mike joins Toshi Yoshihara, Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments in Washington, D.C., to explore the significance of the First Island Chain in U.S. strategic thinking on Asia. They trace its historical role in achieving a favourable regional balance of power, unpack its enduring relevance under the Trump administration, and assess how China is contesting its limits, before turning to what the United States and its maritime Indo-Pacific allies must do to reinforce credible deterrence across an increasingly contested region.