Guam

On a postcard-perfect tropical island in the western Pacific, the US is bolstering defences as concern grows over rising tensions between China and Taiwan.

"Having sovereign US territory at this position in the Indo-Pacific ... "Is Australia going to get drawn into something? The build-up also involves more submarines, ship repair facilities and a planned $1.3 billon missile defence system. It has been somewhat strategically off the map in the decades since, but China's rapid military build-up is reviving its importance. The US military describes the bases on Guam as a "catapult" for force projection in the region. With more than a quarter of Guam taken up by military land, residents and local politicians have voiced concern about the environmental impact of deploying more marines and military assets to the island. But the US military is clearly cautious about painting a more detailed picture of the encounters with Chinese forces on and above the seas. A critic of the large military presence on Guam, Dr Kuper says its status as an unincorporated US territory means the Indigenous Chamorro people of the island are at the mercy of decision-makers in Washington. means we can maintain air superiority from Andersen Air Force base, which is kind of a bedrock the Air Force provides in order to do military operations," said General Paul Birch, the Commander at Andersen Air Force Base. "Irrespective of who the adversary is or what the tensions are, it gives the United States and its partners and allies a lot more options, and that complicates the strategic calculus for anyone who wants to go against our efforts to keep the Indo Pacific free and open." There are 5000 marines in the process of relocating to Guam from a base in Japan's Okinawa. While there are US bases in Asia closer to the Taiwan strait flashpoint, the island of around 170,000 people is the western-most piece of American territory in the Pacific, allowing a military build-up that would be more difficult for bases on foreign soil.