Explained | Understanding the U.S. strategy of ‘Asia Pivot’

What is the purpose of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s maiden trip across Southeast Asia? What is its policy towards the Indo-Pacific region vis-a-vis China?

The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is currently on his maiden trip across Southeast Asia, which includes meetings in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, a visit that signals Washington’s sustained interest in having strong ties with countries in the region even as tensions with China continue to mount across different policy issues. With the world gradually emerging from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, including economically paralysing lockdowns in many parts of Asia, the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden looks to be re-emphasising what was under his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama described as the ‘Asia pivot’ or ‘regional rebalancing.’ Under this strategic approach Washington would seek to deepen ties with likeminded Asian nations, while the unstated goal of balancing the aggressive rise of China as a regional hegemon would very much be a driving force shaping the nature of the parleys. A wide range of policy subjects are included within the framework of this strategic thrust, including maritime security, technology, public health and biosecurity, trade and investment and climate change, to mention some of the important ones.

However, matters took a different direction under Donald Trump, Mr. Biden’s immediate predecessor, who set off a bruising trade tariff war, leading to countervailing tariffs by Beijing, a process that caused economic pain on both sides. Now, the tone adopted by Mr. Blinken and his team appears to be a softer one, focussing more on economic competition with China rather than strategic confrontation.