Alfered Thayer Mahan said, “Whoever controls the Indian Ocean will dominate Asia. This ocean is key to seven seas”. Asia Pacific is the region of the world adjoining the Western Pacific. The precision of the region depends upon the contact, but it includes these regions: Australasia, East Asia, and South Asia. Over the last two decades, we have witnessed that power has been shifting from Europe to Asia. Asia has become the fastest-growing region in the world, especially East Asia.
The Asia-Pacific region will be a contested area of the globe in the future
East Asia is a vast expanse stretching from the Arctic to the Antarctic, ranging from the Kuril Islands to New Zealand. It can also be characterized by an array of coastlines, archipelagos, and choke points separated by great distances. The Asia-Pacific region will be a contested area of the globe in the future. The rise of China brought a seismic change to the geopolitical environment of the world. The layout of great power relations also changed.
Asia Pacific is the region spanning between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It will be the heart of competition among great powers. Each move by any power will be considered a strategic chess move, and regarding the geographical focus, East Asia will be the main battleground for the US-China competition. East Asia has seen great military conflicts in the 20th century. Profoundly shaping the region’s history. The Russo-Japanese War marked the first major victory of an Asian power over a European one. Other significant military conflict—the Sino-Japanese War, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War—involved major powers in the event of chaos and had far-reaching consequences for the region. These conflicts have left a lasting impact on East Asia’s political, social, and economic landscapes.
South China Sea functions as the throat of the western Pacific and Indian oceans. It is the mass of connective economic issues where global sea routes unite. It also contains the heart of Eurasia’s navigable rimland, intersected by the Malacca, Sunda, Lombok, and Makassar straits. Half of the world’s annual merchant tonnage fleet passes through these choke points.
Alliances such as Quadrilateral Dialogue (QUAD) and AUKUS (Australia, US, UK) highlight the strategic importance of the region
The geoeconomic and geostrategic importance of the region is due to the fact that it is home to some of the world’s busiest maritime routes. The region also includes four of the world’s economies: the United States, China, India, and Japan, which are considered major drivers of global economic growth and innovation. Moreover, the region is rich in resources, including fisheries, minerals, and energy reserves, making it crucial for economic activities and production.
Strategically, seven of the world’s largest military forces are making a focal point for the defence. Alliances such as Quadrilateral Dialogue (QUAD) and AUKUS (Australia, US, UK) highlight the strategic importance of the region. Ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific and countering the influence of other powers. The region is a hotspot for geopolitical tensions, particularly in the South China Sea, where territorial disputes and military activities are prevalent. The ambitions to control strategic choke points like the Malacca Strait can influence global trade and security dynamics. The region is considered the heart of geopolitics.
Instruments in Washington’s Toolbox QUAD, AUKUS, ANZUS. QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) aims to promote free and open Indo-Pacific cooperation with the United States, China, Japan, and Australia. A UK-US trilateral security pact between Australia, the UK, and the US bolsters defence capabilities to counter China in the region. ANZUS treaty involving Australia, New Zealand, and the United States’ mutual defence cooperation in the Pacific. The main purpose is to reinforce regional stability and security. If the tensions around Taiwan, the contested South China Sea, and strategic movement in the Sea of Japan lead to naval war.
The rise of China in Asia brought about a seismic shift in the world power structure
In terms of Great Power competition, the rise of China is the most important geopolitical development of the 21st century. The rise of China in Asia brought about a seismic shift in the world power structure. Today, the world is in transition, moving from the unipolar to the multipolar moment era. In international politics, great power competition is back on the table.
As China rises economically, it is going to translate its economic might into military might, and then flex its muscles to maintain its sphere of influence in the region. China wants to be a regional hegemon in Asia, like the US in the Western hemisphere. But a response from US the declining Hegemon may end in a strategic competition.
The Thucydides Trap, Fear, Interest, and Honour, and the rising China has put the United States on a collision course. The Thucydidean dynamic underscores their intense striving to assert their influence and maintain strategic dominance.
Both are systemic rivals locked in a long-term strategic rivalry, and both have a completely different view of human freedom and liberty
The future of US-China relations is a question of contemporary international security because the future of the world order hinges on future relations. It is the most complicated relationship involving security differences, and the most profound is the ideologically different conception of human freedom and human rights. Rising China is a strategic challenge for the US because it will challenge the US primacy in South Asia in the long term. Both are systemic rivals locked in a long-term strategic rivalry, and both have a completely different view of human freedom and liberty. Both have military-to-military rivalries in the Indo-Pacific region, a region that is the heart of the US’s strategy.
US defence strategy in the Indo-Pacific is to change the strategic environment around China through a security alliance to challenge and contain its rising power in Asia. To organize a balancing coalition a balancing strategy is required to maintain the status quo. Historical records on this issue are quite clear, the US never tolerates potential fear of competitors, and the US will go to great lengths to organize a balancing coalition to contain China.
A diversified approach is necessary to address the Indo-Pacific’s marine security issues. This entails strengthening regional powers’ multilateral cooperation through frameworks like ASEAN and QUAD, promoting collective security agreements that can successfully offset assertive actions by nations like China. A comprehensive security architecture must be created by utilizing cutting-edge technologies to enhance maritime domain awareness and enable strong information-sharing protocols, while increasing naval presence through cooperative exercises. These deployments will act as a deterrent against future conflicts.
Navigating the complicated issues of maritime security in the Indo-Pacific will ultimately require a concentrated effort towards cooperation, strategic presence, and legal advocacy
The rule-based order in the area will be strengthened by promoting conformity to international maritime law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Geopolitical tensions are expected to rise in the future, which could result in a defence agreement between countries that are concerned about maritime growth. Skirmishes may become more frequent as a result, highlighting the necessity of proactive diplomatic efforts and conflict prevention strategies. Navigating the complicated issues of maritime security in the Indo-Pacific will ultimately require a concentrated effort towards cooperation, strategic presence, and legal advocacy.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.
