By: Malaika Rao
The Indo-Pacific region, stretching from the United States Pacific coastline to the Indian Ocean, is home to more than half of the world’s people, nearly two-thirds of the world’s economy, and seven of the world’s largest militaries. The region is home to more American military personnel than any other region outside of the country. It generates almost $900 billion in foreign direct investment in the United States and sustains more than three million American employments. As much as two-thirds of the global economic growth is driven by this region. Consequently, this area is crucial for both China, the United States’ main opponent on the world stage It has become the focal point of geopolitical dynamics in the twenty-first century, with China and the United States competing for influence and dominance in this critical region. U.S. alliances, China’s response, and the wide-ranging global effects of this strategic conflict are deeply interconnected.
The Indo-Pacific region has gained significant attention due to its economic vitality, growing military significance, and geopolitical importance. Both nations in the Indo-Pacific have emerged as hotbeds of strategic competition and cooperation as the United States pursues a strategy of bolstering alliances and partnerships and China asserts its regional ambitions through the Belt and Road Initiative and the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. The purpose of this article is to examine the worldwide repercussions of this conflict and how China reacts to American alliances.
Since the Second World War, the United States has continued to have great success with its alliance-building strategy. These alliances, which range from NATO to QUAD and QUAD to AUKUS, give the American military influence and a potent line of defense. The foundation of American strategy during the Cold War and after was the forging of alliances with Japan, South Korea, Australia, and other significant allies. The United States is relieved by the recent revival of these partnerships following its withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), Australia-UK, and US trilateral security partnership (AUKUS), both in 2021, are two recent arrangements that are understood to have decades-long impact and strategic implications for the region. The US, Australia, India, and Japan got together to re-emphasize the dormant Quadrilateral Security Dialogue under the banner of a free and open Asia-Pacific. Initiated by Japan as the first member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue in 2007, the partnership’s primary objective is to mitigate shared emerging challenges such as climate change, cyberspace, critical technologies and infrastructure, maritime security, disaster management, and more recently, the economic effects of COVID-19. All four countries share the common interest of maintaining a maritime order based on the free trade of goods and services across the region. China’s government has already expressed outrage and criticism over Quad serving as the “Asian NATO.”
The US, UK, and Australia (AUKUS) alliance is the second. Their objective is to improve each of the three partners’ capacity to safeguard security and defense interests in particular by integrating security and defense-related science, technology, industrial bases, and supply chains, as well as sharing information and technology more thoroughly. The proposal to help Australia acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines was where the accord had its start. The trilateral cooperation also aims to improve interoperability and cooperative capabilities in terms of new vital technologies, cyber capabilities, AI, quantum computing, and underwater capabilities other than submarines.
China’s emergence as a major world power has also had a profound impact on the Indo-Pacific area. As its economic and military power has developed, China has adopted a more assertive stance, undermining the status quo of global security and strengthening its military presence in disputed areas. Therefore, the neighboring powers who saw China’s military modernization and booming economy as a danger would have welcomed the revival of these alliances. To challenge China’s expanding military, economic, and technological hold on the region, the US is reinforcing its obligations to its allies as well as its own presence through AUKUS and the Quad.
China is directly challenged by the quick changes resulting from the US’s Asia-Pacific strategy. The US-China rivalry will undoubtedly continue to be the most significant geopolitical problem of the twenty-first century for decades, driving the regional allies into a maritime conflict and an arms race. The response from China is obvious. It refers to itself as Quad Mechanism, a nefarious group hostile to China. It claims that by creating AUKUS, the US, UK, and Australia are escalating geopolitical tensions by forming a new military alliance. The deal will hasten the countries’ military capability development and potentially help them cross the nuclear threshold.
The Indo-Pacific region’s geostrategic significance lies not only in its maritime trade routes and resources but also in its impact on the broader global order. A bipolar world has raised worries in light of China’s rise and the potential decline of American power in the area. China is exploiting its leverage of economic power to its fullest through different projects like BRI and CPEC. China is increasing its worldwide influence by making significant investments in various parts of the world. 22 global organizations, including BRICS, the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and others, have received contributions from China. By giving vaccines and medications to underdeveloped nations during the COVID-19 epidemic, they performed as responsible global leaders, which has improved China’s soft power position.
Beyond the military realm, Indo-Pacific competition is deeply interwoven with economic diplomacy. China’s expansive Belt and Road Initiative has increased its economic sway throughout the area, and the United States has made an effort to balance it out with rival infrastructure projects.
Another advantage for China that helps in countering U.S. alliances is that allies of the U.S. are not necessarily of one mind regarding their relations with China, and they are not as united as they really should be to counter rising Chinese influence.
In the face of rising strategic competition, risk management and collaboration promotion are essential to prevent escalation and conflict. We must look at potential areas of cooperation and dialogue between the United States and China while also taking into account the involvement of other regional and global entities in supporting stability and peace.
The writer is a student of International Relations. She can be reached at [email protected]
