As China pushes its way into the Western Pacific, unstopped by the first island chain, it is set on expanding its influence at the expense of the U.S.

The security of Hawaii – the Gibraltar of the Pacific — is increasingly threatened. After all, Hawaii is target rich, housing the Indo-Pacific Command headquarters, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, U.S. Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Army Pacific, U.S. Pacific Marine Corps Forces, 14th U.S. Coast Guard District, the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency, strategic weapons, and holds a key American geostrategic position in the central Pacific.

Already there is discussion of China building a navy base in the Solomon Islands and renovating a runway for military use in Kiribati. The runway would be only 1,800 miles from Hawaii — and this while North Korea trains its missiles on Hawaii.

The wealth of tomorrow will be created in the Indo-Pacific region. It is a center of global trade and commerce. Therefore, a potential area of economic prosperity for countries in the region. Of the global population, 65% of the earth’s inhabitants live in the region. Of the global GDP, 63% is gleaned in the Indo-Pacific. Unsurprisingly, 46% of global merchandise trade is transacted in this vital part of the world.

Japan, Taiwan and South Korea are known for their strong work ethic. As such, all three countries are manufacturing centers and high-tech innovators. Taiwan and South Korea make the best semi-conductors in the world.

To help the general public better understand the forces that seek to mold Hawaii’s destiny and to impede the success of America’s Indo-Pacific strategy, the Navy League Honolulu Council — a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit — produces a maritime security conference every year in Honolulu. This year, the Navy League will team up with the East-West Center, Pacific Forum and the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies.

Officially called the Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Exchange (IMSE), the conference enables those interested to learn about the security challenges facing Hawaii and America’s Indo-Pacific strategy. This year’s exchange will be held Aug. 4-5 at the Hawaii Convention Center.

The enduring theme of IMSE is Building Partnerships for Security, Stability and Economic Prosperity. Because this is a Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) year, speakers and panelists at IMSE 2022 will include RIMPAC participants from several nations in the region discussing information-sharing among nations, and the importance of partnerships among like-minded nations in the region. In addition, discussion will focus on the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (better known as the “Quad”) combining the strengths of Australia, India, Japan and the U.S.

The public is invited to attend IMSE 2022; for more, see www.imsehawaii.org.

Bill Sharp wrote a column,“Look East,” for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin from 2005-2009.