Growing up in Hawaiʻi, you can’t avoid the military. It’s part of the landscape, literally and economically.

The military owns more than 5% of the land in the state. By percentage, that’s more than any other state. And even if you don’t have a friend or family member stationed here, you probably know someone who works for a defense contractor.

A recent Civil Beat “Data Dive” found that around 80% of Hawaiʻi’s 24,000 federal employees work for the Department of Defense. Federal defense spending has been a cornerstone of Hawaiʻi’s economy since the days of U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, and military presence here has shaped our identity in ways we don’t always acknowledge.

But while we often focus on defense spending, we don’t talk enough about how much our national security depends on diplomatic and economic engagement. The U.S. Agency for International Development is a critical part of our defense strategy in the Indo-Pacific, even if it’s not as visible as the military bases on Oʻahu.

USAID plays a key role in fostering stability by providing humanitarian aid, economic development and infrastructure assistance. In many cases, these efforts prevent conflicts before they start by building goodwill and strengthening alliances. That’s why the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID is such a problem — not just for the agency but for U.S. influence in the region.

This month, Congressman Ed Case spoke out against the administration’s decision, calling it “the best thing for them and the worst thing for us.” The “them” he was referring to? China and Russia. Case argued that eliminating USAID weakens America’s ability to project power and values globally.

China, meanwhile, has been expanding its own influence through its Belt and Road Initiative, a global infrastructure project that has funneled more than a trillion dollars into roads, railways and ports across the world. Unlike U.S. foreign aid, which often comes with requirements for good governance and human rights protections, China’s aid doesn’t ask for much in return — except, of course, political and economic influence.

That’s why the fate of USAID should matter to us in Hawaiʻi.

Our state is already a central player in the U.S. strategy to contain China and other authoritarian powers militarily. We host RIMPAC — the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise — biennially. Last year, approximately 25,000 personnel from 29 nations convened in Hawaiʻi with aircraft, submarines and ships to train together and strengthen our collective response to threats and disasters in the Pacific.

In his keynote speech at this month’s Honolulu Defense Forum, Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command headquartered at Pearl Harbor, warned that China’s expanding military capabilities “grow more concerning every day” and said the U.S. isn’t fully prepared to respond.

“Our current posture faces serious challenges that directly threaten the security, the freedom, and the well-being of the United States and its allies and partners,” he said. “And if you are in this room and within earshot of my voice, you and your family are directly threatened.”

It was a stark reminder that the Indo-Pacific is at the center of global security, and Hawaiʻi is on the front lines. “Here more than anywhere else,” Paparo said, “the future of the international order that directly benefits our strategic interests, our vital national interests, rests here.”

Those statements can sound alarmist, but the concerns aren’t new. The U.S. has been shifting its focus to China for years. What is new is how much China has closed the gap.

We’ve seen this in its military buildup, expansion in the South China Sea and strategic partnerships worldwide. We’re also seeing it in how China invests in other countries through infrastructure and foreign aid — areas where the U.S. is now pulling back.

In January, at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Hawaiʻi U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz pointed to the Philippines as an example of what happens when the U.S. disengages. He asked, “If you were a senior CCP (Chinese Communist Party) official, how would you view this freeze in foreign aid coming from the United States?”

Peter Mattis, president of the Jamestown Foundation, answered clearly, “I would be looking to exploit the opportunity that is there.” He explained that the U.S.-Philippine relationship has had its ups and downs, and China has taken advantage of those disruptions.

Schatz, now the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs, is trying to stop that from happening. At a press event outside USAID in Washington, Schatz announced a blanket hold on all of Trump’s State Department nominees until USAID is restored.

“Dismantling USAID is illegal and makes us less safe,” Schatz said. “USAID was created by federal law and is funded by Congress. Donald Trump and Elon Musk can’t just wish it away with a stroke of a pen — they need to pass a law.”

Meanwhile, lawsuits challenging the administration’s decision are piling up. A federal judge issued a temporary order to restore some USAID functions, including funding programs abroad. However, as of now, the agency is still in limbo, promised monies haven’t started flowing again, and thousands of employees are either laid off or waiting to see what happens next.

This isn’t just a policy fight in Washington, D.C. It has real consequences for Hawaiʻi and the region. We live in the middle of the Indo-Pacific, the part of the world that the U.S. and China are competing to influence. That influence isn’t just about military power — it’s also about relationships, trade and diplomacy.

If we only focus on defense and ignore the other ways we engage with the world, we risk losing the very influence we’re trying to protect, increasing the likelihood of military conflict, and making our residents less safe.

The world is watching to see if the U.S. is still a reliable partner. Right now, the answer isn’t clear.