This handbook provides a comprehensive survey of US foreign policy throughout the Indo-Pacific. Home to around 60 percent of the world’s population; most of the world’s largest and fastest-growing economies; around half of the world’s states with full nuclear capabilities; and a complicated web of unresolved tensions, disputes, and conflicts, the Indo-Pacific is arguably the most diverse, dynamic, and contested region on Earth. US strategy there has evolved over centuries, with its physical presence going broadly unchallenged since at least the middle of the last century. However, the rapid development and expanding influence of China – alongside the growth of India, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and others – as well as political and economic crises and disruptions within the United States itself, mean that in recent times the US has come to occupy a newly uncertain position and perceive a range of highly unfamiliar challenges.
To explore how the US has managed, and continues to manage, its regional history, and how it approaches the modern-day landscape of an Indo-Pacific only recently normalised within international political discourse, the book contains 33 newly commissioned chapters from leading experts in the field. It does so partly with help from the more traditional realms of International Relations theory as well as more critical realms. It also unpacks US policy and strategy as it pertains to regional governments, states, and multilateral institutions, as well as to pressing issues including inter-state security, human rights, trade, artificial intelligence, and cyber strategy. It does so in four parts:
- History of the US in the Indo-Pacific
- Theorising US Policy and Presence in the Indo-Pacific
- The US and Indo-Pacific States and Institutions
- The US and Indo-Pacific Issues
The book is designed to be of interest to students and scholars of the US in the Indo-/Asia Pacific; the international relations of the Indo-/Asia Pacific; and US foreign policy.
Author(s): Oliver Turner, Nicola Nymalm, Wali Aslam
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 527
City: London
Cover
Endorsement
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Figures
Graphs
Notes On Contributors
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Aims of the Volume
Structure of the Volume
References
Section 1 History of the US in the Indo-Pacific
1 The United States in the Indo-Pacific Before World War II: Trends, Strategic Thinking, and Diplomatic Realities
Introduction
Historical Lexicon and Analytical Sources: The Indo-Pacific as One Unit of Asian Strategic Policy
The Terminology in History
Explaining the Indo-Pacific: Lines of Inquiries
The United States in Asia, 1784–1900: Private Commerce, Consular Apparatus, and the Open Door Policy
Asia in American Strategic Thought and Policy: Prevailing Trends, 1901–1941
Important Geopolitical Thinking
Wilsonism
1922 Washington Conference: Collective Security
Anti-Colonialism
Conclusion: Indo-Pacific Perspectives On the United States in Pre-World War II Asia
References
2 World War Two and the Post-War ‘New Order’ in the Indo-Pacific
Introduction
The United States, Japan and the Road to War
The Pacific War
The Defeat of Japan and the End of the Second World War
American Post-War Strategic Interests in Asia
Economic and Multilateral Assistance to Asia
Military Escalation in Korea
A ‘New Look’ Policy
The War in Vietnam
The New Strategic Environment
US–China Relations
Conclusion
Bibliography
3 US Grand Strategy in Asia
Introduction
American Grand Strategy and the Washington Consensus On Liberal Hegemony
The Genealogy of American Hegemony in Asia
Barack Obama and the ‘Pivot to Asia’
Donald Trump and ‘America First’: The End of Pax Americana in Asia?
Conclusion
Note
References
Section 2 Theorising US Policy and Presence in the Indo-Pacific
4 ‘Asian’ International Relations Theory: Theorizing Difference, Speaking Back From the Indo-Pacific, and Alternative Imaginaries of US Indo-Pacific Policy
Introduction
Provincializing IR and Efforts to Speak Back From the Indo-Pacific
China: History, Ancient Political Thought and Practices
Japan and In-Betweenness
India: A Program of Recovery and Its Pitfalls
Epistemology and Ontology Matter in Speaking Back: IRs From the Indo-Pacific and the Possibility of Alternative Political Imaginaries
Conclusion: Thinking About Difference and the US Indo-Pacific Strategy
Notes
Bibliography
5 The Racial Dimensions of US Policies and the Indo-Pacific
Introduction
Racial Prejudices, Images, and Policies
The Yellow Peril and US Policies Toward China and Japan
Fears of Appearing Racist and Its Impact On US Policies
The Emergence of the Chinese Yellow Peril?
References
6 Power and Hegemony in the Indo-Pacific: A Postcolonial View
Introduction
The Indo-Pacific: Terra Nullius Reimagined in Maritime Terms
Realism, Liberalism, Constructivism, and the Indo-Pacific
The Limits of Good Governance and Human Rights in the Indo-Pacific
Women’s Rights and the Indo-Pacific Vision
Conclusion
Notes
References
7 West Meets East: Constructivism and American Policy in the Indo-Pacific
Introduction
What Is Constructivism?
Constructing the Indo-Pacific
Case Studies: The PRC and India
People’s Republic of China
India
Conclusion
Notes
References
8 Poststructuralism and US Discourses of the Indo-Pacific
Introduction
Poststructuralism
Key Authors in IR
Power/Knowledge
Genealogy
Foreign Policy, Discourses, and Identity
Methodological Questions
The Concept of Discourse
Critique
Discourses of the Indo-Pacific in the Donald Trump Administration
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo On a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”
The State Department’s “A Free and Open Indo-Pacific: Advancing a Shared Vision” Report
Other Areas of Research
Bibliography
9 Gender and American Foreign and Security Policy in the Indo-Pacific
Introduction
Gender Analytic Resources for the Study of US Indo-Pacific Policy
Feminist Security Studies
Emerging Approaches
US Foreign Policy in the Indo-Pacific and Gender in Historical Perspective
Philippines
Japan
India
South Korea
Vietnam
III. Current Indo-Pacific Gender Issues for US Foreign Policy
Conclusion
References
10 Explaining the US Presence in the Indo-Pacific: Marxist–Gramscian–Kautskyian Approaches
Introduction
The Marxist Foundations of Gramscian Theory
Gramsci and Hegemony
Network Building: The Foundations of US Hegemony
Gramsci and the Indo-Pacific
Ultra-Imperialism Dovetails With Hegemony
A Gramscian–Kautskyian Analysis of Sino–US Relations
Networking China Into the US-Led Order
The Challenge to Elite Knowledge Networks – The ‘Rise’ of China
Conflict, Co-Operation, and Turbulence
The China–US Elite Knowledge Network Since 2015 – Conflict Amid Cooperation
Conclusion
References
11 Realist Theories and US Foreign Policy in the Indo-Pacific
Introduction
Realism and IR Theories
Balance of Power Theory and US Foreign Policy During the Cold War
US Policy in the Indo-Pacific
Hegemony and US Foreign Policy After the Cold War
US Hegemony and the Indo-Pacific
Power Transition Theory: The United States, China, and the Indo-Pacific
US Policy and the Emergence of an Indo-Pacific Power Transition
Conclusion
References
12 The Liberal Paradigm and US Policy in the Indo-Pacific
Introduction
Liberalism in International Relations
Institutions
Domestic Institutions
International Institutions
Domestic–International Links
The United States and the Indo-Pacific
The Cold War Through the Late 1980s
After the Cold War: Late 1980s to 2008
Since 2008: Commercial Versus Republican Liberalism
Republican Liberalism Ascendant?
Notes
Bibliography
Section 3 The US and Indo-Pacific States and Institutions
13 US Foreign Policy Towards China
Introduction
Early US China Policy
The Cold War
A New ‘China Century’. A New China Threat?
Twenty-First Century US China Policy: A New Cold War?
Conclusion
Notes
References
14 The US, Japan, and the Indo-Pacific
Introduction
The Cold War, the US–Japan Alliance, and US Asia Strategy
From ‘Hub and Spokes’ to a Regional Network
Strategic Convergence Across the Indo-Pacific
Conclusion
Bibliography
15 The US and North Korea: The Nuclear Problem That Refuses to Go Away
Introduction
The US and North Korea During the Cold War
President Bill Clinton and the First Nuclear Crisis
President George W. Bush and the Second Nuclear Crisis
President Barack Obama and Leadership Transition in North Korea
President Donald Trump and the Historic Singapore Summit
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
16 Alliance Asymmetries and the Challenges of Balancing Security and Democracy: US Relations With the Republic of Korea
Introduction
From Civil War to Great Power Conflict, 1945–1953
Cold War Dynamics: Balancing Security, Nation Building and Democracy Promotion, 1954–1989
Post-Cold War Alliance Dynamics: 1990 to the Present
Conclusion
Notes
References
17 The United States and Taiwan: Foundations and Challenges of the One China Policy
Introduction
Historical Context
Pressures From Developments in China, Taiwan, and Cross-Strait Relations
US Response to Developments in the Last 20 Years
Sustainability of the US One China Policy
Conclusion
Notes
References
18 The Philippines in the United States’ Indo-Pacific Grand Strategies: From Strategic Rebalancing to Strategic Competition
Introduction
Placing US Foreign Policy in Relation to the Philippines Within US Grand Strategies
The Obama Administration’s Strategic Rebalancing
The Philippines in the Rebalancing Strategy
US–China Strategic Competition and the Policy of Strategic Patience
Prospects Under the Biden Administration
Conclusion
Bibliography
19 Less Is More: US Engagement With Indonesia (1945–2021)
Introduction
The Emergence of Indonesian Independence and US Hegemony: 1945–1949
Bargaining Between Power and Sensitivity, The Cold War Years, 1950–1990
Moving From Open Geopolitical Realism to Cosmopolitan Interventionism, 1990–
The Framework of the US Fight Against Muslim Terrorists, 2001–
The Framework of Containment of China, 2017–
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
20 Values Over Interests: Variations in US–Myanmar Policy Since 1988
Introduction
The 1990s: Congress’ Cause, Sanctions and Isolation
The 2000s: The Bush Administration and Continued Isolation
The Obama Years: Dialogue and Reform
Obama’s Second Term: The Road to 2015 and Frayed Relations
The Rohingya Crisis and The Trump Administration: 2017–2021
Conclusion
Notes
References
21 US Relations With Sri Lanka: A Case of Impulsiveness, Missed Opportunities and Strategic Competition
Introduction
Cold War
War On Terrorism
The Rise of China
Conclusion
Note
References
22 The Evolution of American Foreign Policy Toward India
Introduction
The Shock of 1962
The 1971 Crisis and Its Ramifications
The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and After
The Cold War’s End and Its Impact On India
The Bush Administration and Another Regional Crisis
The Bush Administration and Another Regional Crisis
Enter the Obama Administration
Enter Narendra Modi
Modi and Trump: Seeming Bonhomie and a Transactional Relationship
Conclusion
Notes
References
23 Misaligned Expectations and Broken Promises: United States Foreign Policy Approach Towards Pakistan (1947–2021)
Introduction
The US and Pakistan: Early Dynamics (1947–1971)
The Afghan Jihad and Nuclear Tensions (1971–2001)
The War On Terrorism and the Need for Sober Reassessments (2001–2021)
Conclusion
Notes
References
24 US Engagement With Australia: ‘No Better Friend’?
Introduction
Historical Overview
After ANZUS: Partners in War
The Pivot to Asia
The Rise of the Indo-Pacific
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
25 The United States and ASEAN: Bilateralism and Regionalism in a Changing Asia
Introduction
The United States and ASEAN During the Cold War
ASEAN’s Post-Cold War Regionalism and the Challenge to US Policy
Responding to New ASEAN Frameworks: Opposition and Reluctant Participation 1989–2008
Expanded US ASEAN Engagement Under Obama
The Trump Administration: Departures, Normalization, Or Reversion?
Biden Postscripts
Conclusion
Notes
References
Section 4 The US and Indo-Pacific Issues
26 The Pursuit of Primacy: US Security Policy in the Indo-Pacific
Introduction
Phase I Pursuing Primacy in the Post-War World: 1945–1979
Phase II Achieving Primacy: 1979–2012
Phase III: Primacy in Contested Asia: 2012 to 2020
Conclusion
References
27 US Regional Economic Policy in the Indo-Pacific
Overview
Conceptualizing the Indo-Pacific as an Economic Region
The Indo-Pacific in Economic Context
US Economic Policy in East Asia: From ASEAN to Asian Financial Crisis
Washington’s Pivot: The Trans-Pacific Partnership
Aggressive Unilateralism: From TPP to Tariff Wars
Japan
South Korea
China
ASEAN
Confluence of the Two Seas: US Policy Towards India
Conclusion
References
28 Congress, Domestic Politics and Contemporary US Policy in the Indo-Pacific
Introduction
Historical Context
Congress, Politics, Continuity and Change in Recent US Indo-Pacific Policy
Evolving Indo-Pacific Strategy
2020 Election, the Global COVID-19 Pandemic, and the Transition to the Biden Administration
President Biden and Enduring US Indo-Pacific Policy
Conclusion
References
29 US Nuclear Strategy in the Indo-Pacific (1945–2021)
US Nuclear Strategy in the Indo-Pacific During the Cold War
The United States, Nuclear Weapons, and the Indo-Pacific in the Post-Cold War Period
Nuclear Weapons in US Indo-Pacific Strategy in the Age of Great Power Contestation
The Twin Challenges of Nuclear Stability and Arms Control in the Indo-Pacific
Conclusion
Notes
References
30 The Role of Democracy and Human Rights in US Indo-Pacific Policy (1945–2021)
Introduction
Enduring Debates
An Inconsistent Focus On Values in the Indo-Pacific Since World War II
Limited Focus On Values in Asia in the Early Cold War
Newfound Yet Erratic Attention to Democracy in the Latter Cold War
Balancing Values and Stability in the Unipolar Moment
Key Actors in US Democracy and Rights Policy in Asia
Recent US Democracy and Human Rights Concerns in the Indo-Pacific
Balancing Priorities in a Volatile Myanmar
Confronting A Rising, Repressive China
Xinjiang
Hong Kong
Tibet
China’s Corrosion of Democracy in the Indo-Pacific
Partnering With Indo-Pacific Democracies
Debating the Future of Democracy and Rights in US Indo-Pacific Policy
Debating How to Best Support Democracy and Rights
Conclusion
Bibliography
31 US Concerns Regarding the Belt and Road Initiative
Introduction
How BRI Undermines Fundamental US Interests and Value Commitments
Unveiling BRI and Reconfiguring Sino–US Relations
How BRI Supports Revisionist Political and Security Agendas
The Obama Years, 2013–2016
US Responses to China’s Rise and BRI Ambitions, 2013–2021
2013: Complacency
2014: Tactical Responses
2015: An Attempt to Co-Opt
2016: BRI Becomes Geopolitical
The Trump Years, 2017–2020
2017: The US Targets BRI With Free and Open Indo-Pacific Initiative
2018: Organizing a Whole of Government Effort and Bipartisan Consensus
2019: Public Messaging and Building Partnerships
The Impact of COVID On BRI
Biden Administration Turns Up the Pressure: January–June 2021
Transition Uncertainties
The Quad Continues Under Biden
Biden Administration’s First High-Level Sino–US Bilateral Meeting
B3W Infrastructure Spearheads Biden’s BRI Counterstrategy
Future Prospects
Note
References
32 US Cyber Strategy in the Indo-Pacific
Introduction
Definition of Cyber
US Cyber: From Hard to Smart
The Indo-Pacific: A New Cyber Containment?
The Beijing Cyber Threat
Conclusion
Note
References
33 The US, Indo-Pacific, AI and Emerging Security Technologies
Introduction
Emerging Challenges to US Technological Leadership in the Indo-Pacific
Washington’s New Sputnik Moment?
China’s Response to Pax Americana in Emerging Security Technology
Arms Racing Dynamics in Emerging Security Technology in the Indo-Pacific
Conclusion
Note
References
Index
