Some scholars argue President Obama's pivot to Asia is his attempt to rebalance US power and influence in the Asia-Pacific region. However, several factors suggest the initial pivot is not so much an attempt to rebalance as it is a speech act meant to securitize the region. First, balancing in Asia is nothing new, and US efforts to congage China have been ongoing since the Clinton administration. Second, US attempts to ‘rebalance’ have been met with apprehension among some of its allies who are increasingly asked to choose between maintaining ties with either Beijing or Washington. This leads to the final point: the US, even with its 21st century military and economic prowess, cannot balance China alone. Therefore, this paper argues the future of Obama’s pivot depends on how successful he securitizes the ‘China threat’ with politicians in Congress as well as with allies throughout the Asia-Pacific.
