In US strategic parlance, the “Western Hemisphere” refers broadly to the Americas, a geopolitical space long regarded as a place Washington has sway over. This belief harks back to the Monroe Doctrine, a 19th-century policy that warned European powers against meddling in the newly independent nations of the Americas.
The strategy declares that the United States will “deny non-Hemispheric competitors the ability to position forces or other threatening capabilities, or to own or control strategically vital assets, in our Hemisphere”, introducing what officials call the “Trump Corollary” to restore US pre-eminence across the region.
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Gateway to Asia: China builds port in Peru for faster transport of goods to and from South America
Gateway to Asia: China builds port in Peru for faster transport of goods to and from South America
The White House described the Western Hemisphere as part of America’s “Homeland Security Zone”, treating the stability and political alignment of neighbouring countries as matters of national defence rather than diplomatic preference.
