Indo-Pacific strategy gains support as China’s assertiveness fuels fears
- More nations will be prompted to join US initiative because of Beijing’s behaviour in the region, according to analyst
- He cites threats to freedom of navigation and overflight, coercive actions against Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia, and ‘Wolf Warrior diplomacy’
Asia-Pacific nations are adjusting their defence strategies and looking to strengthen security ties with the United States, as anxiety grows over China’s assertiveness and a potential conflict between the two superpowers, analysts say.
It extends from South Asia to the Pacific Coast of the United States, and was first outlined by President Donald Trump in Vietnam in 2017, when he called for a free and open Indo-Pacific. Since then, the US has sought to strengthen alliances in the region, and there are recent signs that the strategy is gaining momentum.
Australia, for example, in July announced an additional US$190 billion in defence spending over the next decade, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison pointing to regional tensions over territorial claims and unprecedented military modernisation.
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Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, said other nations would be prompted to join the US strategy because of China’s behaviour in the region.