Will the Indo-Pacific strategy besiege China?

ABSTRACT

The US Indo-Pacific Strategy is a major new regional strategic initiative, which is widely regarded as the focus of anti-China. On the multilateral front, the proposal is represented by the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue among the United States, Japan, Australia, and India, which was resumed in 2017 after a 10-year hiatus. Washington's own Indo-Pacific Strategy has drawn on years of confabulations with these like-minded states. Washington feels threatened that Beijing, as a competitor, may alter the balance of power in its favour, thereby endangering its hegemony. Beijing is emerging as the dominant power in the Indo-Pacific, raising the question of whether the Indo-Pacific Strategy will besiege China. We argue that China is no longer in siege position because the strategic interests of Japan and India are converging with those of China. These convergences show that China is benign rather than aggressive towards key regional players. The recent consensus on fundamental issues such as the China–India border, the Beijing-Tokyo Senkaku islands, and military cooperation is a significant milestone in ameliorating bilateral relations.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributor

Rahat Shah is a MA candidate in the Department of International Relations, School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Jilin University. His research focuses on Indo-Pacific and Pakistan-Turkey relations. He recently conducted a master's thesis on the relationship between Pakistan and Turkey. He is the recipient of prestigious scholarship such as Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC). He is fluent in English, Chinese, Urdu, and Pashto.