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The 2026 US National Defense Strategy downgrades China as a top priority, shifting focus to homeland defense and signaling a major geopolitical realignment.

In a geopolitical pivot that has left military strategists scrambling, the US Pentagon has officially downgraded China from its status as the "top security priority." The newly released 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS) signals a radical departure from the hawkish stance of the past decade, replacing confrontation with "clear-eyed realism" and a focus on "Defending the Homeland."
This is the Trump Doctrine 2.0 in full effect. The document, released with little fanfare on a Friday evening, declares that the era of nation-building and policing the world is over. The new priority? Fortress America. China, once the "pacing threat," is now relegated to "Line of Effort 2."
The language of the 2026 NDS is strikingly different. Gone are the calls for dominance. In their place are phrases like "decent peace" and "not to strangle or humiliate."
For Kenya and Africa, this shift is monumental. If the US steps back from its rivalry with China, does the pressure to "pick a side" evaporate? Or does it leave Beijing with a free hand to consolidate its influence across the continent?
President Ruto’s balancing act between Washington and Beijing may just have gotten easier—or more confusing. If the Sheriff is leaving town, the local dynamics change instantly.
We are the playground where these giants usually fight. We take loans from China to build railways and receive aid from the US to fight terror. A US that is less obsessed with countering China might mean less attention (and money) for strategic partners like Kenya. Conversely, it might lower the geopolitical temperature, allowing us to trade with both without fear of sanctions.
The eagle is nesting, and the dragon is watching. The world order is shifting, and Nairobi must adjust its sails.
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