Twelfth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

This paper examines America’s new “Indo-Pacific” strategy for maritime security. The US 2017 National Security Strategy indicates that the Indo-Pacific region is America’s foremost foreign and security policy priority. The US vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific underscores the importance of regional cooperation with countries in the South China Sea to counter China’s maritime activities there. The study seeks to answer the question of whether US hegemony is declining or enduring. It analyzes US partnerships with regional allies and partners as it competes with China for maritime supremacy. It examines US efforts to work with Australia, India, and Japan in a ‘Strategic Quad,’ as well as with Southeast Asian partners Indonesia and Vietnam, to challenge China’s expanding maritime assertiveness. The paper considers the following questions: What capacity-building measures must the United States and its regional partners take to address potential challenges across the region? How can naval diplomacy build greater transparency, reduce the risk of miscalculation or conflict, and promote shared maritime rules of the road? How can America and its allies strengthen regional security institutions and encourage the development of an open and effective regional security architecture?