„The United States is a Pacific power, and we are here to stay,“ he declared in a speech to the Australian Parliament, sending an unmistakable message to Beijing.

Obama‘s bullish speech came several hours after announcing he would send military aircraft and up to 2,500 Marines to northern Australia for a training hub to help allies and protect American interests across Asia. He declared the U.S. is not afraid of China, by far the biggest and most powerful country in the region.