brahmdeep alune
America’s new strategy of Indo-Pacific economic structure to stop China seems effective, but there are no less contradictions in it. America’s major allies Australia, Japan and South Korea are already working closely with China by mobilizing various countries in Asia and for economic cooperation.
The vision of a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region has now become synonymous with China’s geo-strategic and geo-economic resistance. In international politics, the theoretical relationship of collective security has been based on military cooperation and armament, with commitments to aggression, counter-invasion and preventing international conflict have been key. Now China’s economic rise has completely changed the prevailing theories of strategic rivalry. The US is preferring a system based on strong economic and trade policies to control and balance the growing influence of China on the global stage. At its center is the region of the Indian Pacific Ocean, which is extremely influential in terms of trade, economic, natural and human resources.
Geographically, the part of the sea that makes up the Indian Ocean and parts of the Pacific Ocean is known as the Indo-Pacific. It is the main area of trade traffic. The ports on this route are among the busiest in the world. About sixty-five percent of the world’s population lives in the thirty-eight countries adjoining the Indo-Pacific region. ASEAN’s economic partnerships, China’s eye on limitless mineral resources, China’s strategic policy of capturing the ports of many countries and the strategic partnership of the Quad have been the major political and strategic rivalries of the region.
In the midst of all this, Chinese products are being supplied in the world market in an uninterrupted manner. Taking advantage of the long-term and effective economic policies of globalization, China has also made unprecedented development of its strategic potential. Over the years, China has influenced many countries in Europe politically and economically through trade and aid diplomacy. On the other hand, China’s economic influence in Southeast Europe is also increasing. This region is very important from the security point of view for America and Europe. This is where the Balkan Peninsula is located. China is not only increasing its status in the countries of this region through the new Silk Road, but it has also established its influence on many countries through debt diplomacy. This expansionism of China is becoming a major challenge to the security of Europe.
That is why the US is exploring possibilities in the Indo-Pacific region to deal with the dangers of Chinese expansionism. By encircling China in this area, it wants to weaken its economic and strategic capability. America feels that in order to control and balance China, Asia has to be kept at the center of diplomacy. After Barack Obama and Donald Trump, Biden is now following the same policy. America also wants to move forward on economic and trade policies with strategic partnership. That is why after the Quad, the US has now laid the foundation of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), in which there is an emphasis on increasing mutual cooperation with trade facilities.
It has been seen that wherever China is strategically strong, it is considered challenging for the US. The Indo-Pacific economic structure also needs to be viewed from this point of view. During Obama’s tenure, work began on America’s Asia-centric policy of challenging China with the cooperation of Japan, South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines and Australia. Obama worked on a policy of connecting his trusted allies in Asia as well as countries that are troubled by China’s expansionist policies and illegal claims.
Apart from India, there are also Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Laos and Vietnam among such countries. Some of these countries want to challenge China’s illegal claims on the South China Sea, while some countries are outraged by military pressure and incidents of encroachment to expand China’s geographical borders. In such a situation, the Quad developed into a strong strategic partnership to stop China, but its results have not been effective so far. China’s position on the Quad has been strict and it has been calling it Asian NATO.
America’s new strategy of Indo-Pacific economic structure to stop China seems effective, but there are no less contradictions in it. America’s major allies Australia, Japan and South Korea are already working closely with China for economic cooperation by mobilizing various countries of Asia. RCEP is one such economic cooperation organization. ASEAN countries’ free trade agreement ‘Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership’ (RCEP) is said to be the world’s largest trade agreement which is determined to increase investment among Asian countries, reduce import taxes and bring together the economies of member countries. Strengthening the system based on cooperation. RCEP is China’s first multilateral free trade agreement that also includes South Korea and Japan. However, China also has deep disputes with these two countries.
In such a situation, America’s challenges are no less. An economic alliance named ‘Trans-Pacific Partnership’ was started on the initiative of former President Barack Obama to counter China. But in the year 2017, Donald Trump pulled America out of this agreement, calling it useless. After this, it was named CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) under the leadership of Japan. China wants to join this alliance. Differences between the US and Japan have also come to the fore on trade issues. China shares deep trade ties with all members of the CPTPP and has free trade agreements with several countries. Most of the members are also connected to China through RCEP.
Now the US is assuring that the IPEF will have lower tariffs, unlike the two trading alliances in Asia – CPTPP and RCEP. Under this economic framework under his leadership, the US seeks strategic cooperation on the strengthening of supply chains and the digital economy. It is also interesting that the US has not laid out any clear plans for the openness of cooperation in the IPEF. Whereas China is continuously working on the policy of free hand cooperation. There are a total of thirteen countries in the IPEF, which include the United States, Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. But surprisingly, the market of most of these countries is dominated by China. In such a situation, how America will be able to tighten the noose on China, it is no less a big question.
Obviously, there is a need to work on a long-term economic and strategic strategy to stop China. For this, America will not only have to win the trust of its friends and allies, but it will have to move with systems based on common interests. India can neither oppose Russia due to its strategic and geographical challenges, nor can Japan end economic ties with China by sacrificing its economic interests. NATO and the US are unable to stop China in Europe amid the complexity of global arrangements. In such a situation, weakening China in Asia seems like a daydream.