U.S. State Department Deputy Secretary William Burns talked about America’s “strategic pivot” toward the Asia-Pacific region in remarks at the World Affairs Councils of America National Conference on Friday. 

Here’s some of what he had to say: 

“In many respects, the broader Pacific will be the most dynamic and significant part of the world for American interests for many decades to come. It already includes more than half of the world’s population, many of its most important economies, key allies, and emerging powers…

“To harness the tremendous opportunities in the coming decades, we must adopt a new concept of our foreign policy and strategy that pays greater attention to the growing linkages across the Pacific — and that leverages our core relationships on both sides.

“Asia’s rise has been so dramatic that it is not just remaking Asia’s cities and economies — it is redrawing the geostrategic map.” 
Read his complete remarks.