bˈoʊθ ðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts ænd ɪmpˈɪɹiəl dʒˈɜːməni sˈɔː ðɪs æz ɐ pətˈɛnʃəl ɑːpɚtˈuːnᵻɾi tʊ ɛkspˈænd ðɛɹ hˈoʊldɪŋz ɪnðə pɐsˈɪfɪk θɹuː ɡˈʌnboʊt dɪplˈoʊməsi.
Both the United States and Imperial Germany saw this as a potential opportunity to expand their holdings in the Pacific through gunboat diplomacy.