Grand strategy of nations may be defined as the combination of diplomatic, economic, military, and political factors used by leaders to defend their respective nation-states. While it overlaps with foreign policy, it is typically directed by the leadership of a country, it underscores the means to the attainment of long-term strategic objectives of a nation. It becomes imperative for leaders to develop strategies that address a diverse range of internal, state, and non-state challenges in the context of highly interdependent domestic and international politics.
America’s post-Bush leaders identify an embrace and promotion of bilateral and multilateral cooperation among Asia-Pacific democracies as central to US regional strategy. Former Presidential candidates John McCain called for the construction of a broader alliance of democracies to help manage international order in the Asia-Pacific century, while Hillary Clinton, sought to institutionalize the security cooperation with a quadrilateral partnership of Asia-Pacific democracies comprising the United States, Japan, India and Australia. President Barack Obama has called for a new worldwide concert of democracies to overcome obstruction by the authoritarian governments of Russia and China in the UN Security Council.
The US grand strategy is aimed towards a maritime, global commercial system, and a peaceful liberal order based on international cooperation. Because there are no perceived security threats from Europe, Latin America and Africa and the US intending to achieve its objectives in the Middle East “with a somewhat lighter presence”, leaves the Indo-Pacific at the top of the priority list in the American foreign policy, and with least surprises, the ‘Asia Pivot Strategy’ enjoys a bipartisan support in the Capitol Hill.
According to Professor Walter Russell Mead, the three major powers of Asia, namely, China, India and Japan with their respective sets of strengths and weaknesses shares different patterns of relations with the US, where the US’ importance lies in its role of that of an offshore balancer in the region.
The rising power of China and emerging power of India as the variables, the US is concerned that China because of its rapid growth might be tempted to do what Japan and Germany tried to do before the outbreak of World War II. It fears that China might make an attempt of establishing its hegemony in the region and around the world. While Chinese hegemony is not welcomed in Asia, America’s goal is not the containment of China but that of engaging China to encourage its policy makers to recognize that China’s interests are best preserved by being a responsible part of an international framework.
There is a search for a deeper and more stable security arrangement in Asia-Pacific, and US foreign policy in the region will contribute to that objective. India-US cooperation in this regard would be, not to contain China, but to promote China’s integration into a stable global and Asian order. The American grand strategy firmly believes that China would pay a high price for challenging the current liberal international order, under which it has so prospered, by trying to substitute it with a Sino-centric system.
While the general public opinion in the United States is to bring down the level of the nation’s external engagements, like that in Afghanistan, it still remains vital for the country to remain committed to playing a leadership role. America has led in building the global order of today, and hence the image of a world without strong American engagement is difficult to contemplate and potentially catastrophic. American political and economic power and diplomatic and military might are essential ingredients in building the peace and security that must prevail if Americans and all states are to strive to live in a world, as President Franklin Roosevelt envisioned, free from fear.
American grand strategy in the Indo-Pacific must promote a positive, hopeful, and optimistic vision for the world that it seeks to build, a world in which states are permitted and encouraged to pursue peace and prosperity. As the hallmark of such an era, Washington’s grand strategy must be governed by both moderation and balance.
(The author is a Ph.D scholar in the American Studies Program at the Centre for Canadian, United States and Latin American Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and can be reached at simimehta.08@gmail.com).
Stay updated with all the insights.
Navigate news, 1 email day.
Subscribe to Qrius
