For the foreseeable future, stability in the Indo-Pacific rests on the degree to which the United States continues to forward and base hundreds of thousands of its military forces, along with ships, submarines, and fighter planes. A precipitous U.S. withdrawal would certainly lead to unforeseen effects in a region rife with unresolved disputes and few mature working relationships. The result of a breakdown in relations would almost certainly cause economic disruption and possibly lead to wider global conflict. In more ways than one, then, the Indo-Pacific will determine the future of global peace and prosperity for decades to come.