America also shapes the world through multilateral alliances and frameworks for discussion and cooperation. NATO, for example, although primarily devoted to the protection of members states borders, also promotes stability in Europe as a whole. It prevents conflicts, reduces the threat of weapons of mass destruction and deters aggression and coercion beyond its borders. In the Asia-Pacific region, the United States shapes the strategic environment by remaining actively engaged in a variety of overlapping multilateral channels. Of course, if we are to shape the future of Asia in the 21 st Century we must acknowledge the emergence of China.
China is already an Asian power, and rightfully so.
Some have argued that we should try to contain China, but you simply cannot contain one-fifth of humanity. So the United States has deepened our engagement with China. A final point that I would like to make is that as we shape the security of our world, we must at the same time shape our security at home. The United States runs a very grave risk if we continue to think of national security as something that only happens beyond our borders as opposed to within them. The simple fact is that the United States has been the beneficiary of geography we have not had to contend with the levels of terrorism faced by many other nations.