We have important national interests that require forces to serve with NATO, Japan, Korea and in the Persian Gulf. A disturbance in one area affects all others. If it stops, for whatever reason, many countries will be hurt, but especially Japan and Europe. The world is so interconnected today, that if a recession strikes Japan or Europe, the United States will feel the effects. The United States has vital national interests in Asia.
Japan is one of America's largest overseas trading partners.
China's economy is the fastest growing in the world. U.S. trade is increasing with Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea and Indonesia as those countries recover from market crashes three years ago. We are interested in encouraging stability because that encourages prosperity. In Europe, the United States worked with NATO to encourage peace and stability. The alliance intervened in the Balkans because it could not stand by and watch the crises in Bosnia and Kosovo plunge the area into chaos that might have drawn in outside countries.