*Royal Australian Navy, Republic of Korea Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and United States Navy warships sail in formation during the Pacific Vanguard exercise*

Mission

The committee conducts assessments of regional challenges and opportunities, providing nonpartisan recommendations that strengthen U.S. engagement, alliances, and deterrence capabilities. ACNSL aims to educate the public and Congress on the value of a robust Indo-Pacific strategy that promotes peace, prosperity, and a free and open international order.

Strategic Challenges

China’s assertion of the Ten-Dash Line, militarization of artificial islands, and economic coercion threaten regional stability and international law. Through illegal territorial claims and harassment of neighboring nations, China seeks control over critical maritime trade routes and resources, challenging U.S. influence and the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.
The erosion of U.S. alliances and partnerships in the region, whether through competing diplomatic or economic initiatives (China’s Belt and Road Initiative) or insufficient U.S. engagement, could weaken collective deterrence and security frameworks.
The rise in nationalism, suppression of dissent, and weakening of democratic institutions in the Indo-Pacific region reflect broader global trends of democratic erosion. These developments threaten regional stability, undermine trust in democratic governance, and create opportunities for authoritarian powers to expand their influence.