US Coast Guard shifts cutters to Pacific to counter China amid Navy strain

The US is redeploying six fast-response cutters from the Middle East to the West Pacific to bolster presence against China as the Navy is stretched by Middle East commitments. This marks a notable shift in force posture, using lower-risk Coast Guard assets, but increased cooperation with Taiwan's coastguard may provoke further Chinese pressure on the island. The move signals a strategic rebalancing of US maritime assets in the Indo-Pacific.