The Indo-Pacific Strategy of the Biden Administration:A Strategic Analysis

The Indo-Pacific strategy is an inevitable outcome of the eastward shift of the US foreign strategic focus,which has gone through three US administrations of Obama,Trump and Biden,either Democratic or Republican,not only showing strong continuity,but also gradually exhibiting the characteristics as a grand strategy.

During the Obama administration,the U.S.initially established the strategic contours of its pivot to the Asia-Pacific,and introduced strategic means to pursue its goals from the aspects of security and economy,such as proposing to deploy 60 percent of its naval forces to the Pacific region in terms security and seeking a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in terms of economy.Under the Trump administration,the U.S.issued three key documents:the US Indo-Pacific Strategic Framework,the Indo-Pacific Strategic Report - Preparedness,Partnership and Promoting a Networked Region,and A Free and Open Indo-Pacific:Advancing a Shared Vision,all of which have contributed to the establishment of a blueprint for the US Indo-Pacific strategy in a “whole-ofgovernment” way.However,although the US Indo-Pacific strategy seemed well-designed,its operation and execution were fraught with great difficulties during this period.The most prominent was that Trump’s open and fanatic pursuit of America First strained U.S.relations with its allies,thus making it difficult to advance parts of the Indo-Pacific strategy that required co-operation from other countries.

After taking office early in 2021,the Biden administration immediately set about revising and reinventing the Indo-Pacific strategy.In February 2022,the U.S.introduced the Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United States,based on its policy declaration and more than one year’s practice,the basic plan of the Biden administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy can be sorted out.

In terms of strategic objectives,the US Indo-Pacific strategy follows the underlying logic of hegemony maintenance,and serves the objectives at three levels:near-term,medium- term and long-term.The near-term goal is to deal with China,the most potent potential challenger to US hegemony.The mediumterm goal is to increase connectivity with Indo-Pacific economies to gain strong support for its power reconstruction.The long-term objective is to establish a new and effective international institutional system with the Indo-Pacific as the center.

In terms of strategic means,the U.S.uses a combination of political,security and economic tools.In the political field,the U.S.actively plays up the confrontation and competition between two different ideologies and systems,and smears the image of China by taking values as a key and effective weapon,while strengthening coordination with its allies and partners,and making greater efforts to reshape multilateral mechanisms in the region to guide the reconstruction of political environment in the Indo-Pacific.In the security field,the U.S.has significantly increased its military input,as represented by the Pacific Deterrence Initiative,in an effort to enhance the modern and coordinated combat capabilities of the U.S.military and its allies,while bringing its EU allies into the Indo-Pacific and launching an all-round offensive based on the FVEY,the QUAD,the AUKUS and several bilateral military alliances.Moreover,the U.S.has also stepped up provocation on hot issues such as the Taiwan issue and intensified constraint and containment of China.In the economic field,while maintaining high pressures on China in economy,trade and technology,the U.S.is also encouraging investment from Indo-Pacific economies to help it regain its competitive edge.At the same time,the U.S.is also seeking leadership in rule-making in such important areas as digital economy,infrastructure,climate change and energy.

The US Indo-Pacific strategy may be evaluated from three aspects.First,there are potential conflicts among the three objectives enshrined in the Indo-Pacific strategy.As the economic engine in the Asia-Pacific,China’s economic interests are deeply intertwined not only with those of the United States,but also with those of other countries in the region.In addition,China can also contribute valuable experiences and resources to the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other global and regional governance efforts.Since the near-term goal of the Indo-Pacific strategy is set as competing and confronting against China,the U.S.is doomed to fail in achieving its medium- and long-term goals manifested in its Indo-Pacific strategy.

Second,the Indo-Pacific strategy is skewed in political means,inadequate in economic means,and excessive in military means.Over the past year,the Biden administration’s approach to multilateral diplomacy remained Europe first and Asia second,as Joe Biden has paid several visits to Europe and has yet set foot in Asia.The Biden administration has consulted with European allies on many of its major initiatives before rolling them out in Asia,which may show that the U.S.’ engagement with the Indo-Pacific is more of policy involvement than of strategic dependence.Moreover,the QUAD mechanism has a significant impact on the subjectivity of Asian countries in regional mechanisms,especially the centrality of ASEAN.In economy,the Biden administration has refused to return to TPP,while an Indo-Pacific economic framework is delayed.Jake Sullivan,the president’s national security adviser,admitted in an interview that before entering any new open-market trade agreement,the U.S.needs to invest at home to restore the competitiveness and comparative advantage of American industries and workers.The Biden administration has put out the message that the future Indo-Pacific economic framework does not require congressional approval,which means that the U.S.will not use it to further open up its markets,thereby undermining the benefits expected by countries in the region.On the other hand,the Biden administration has carried out frequent and confrontational joint military exercises and training in the Indo-Pacific,hence raising tensions in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.The strong military overtones in the Indo-Pacific strategy run counter to the fundamental aspiration of regional countries for peace and development.

Finally,the operation of the Indo-Pacific strategy faces a complex environment.Regional countries are divided in their attitudes towards the U.S.Indo-Pacific strategy with few fully supporting it,while other countries in the region have expressed their concerns over the “competition against China”nature of the Indo-Pacific strategy to varying degrees,and have stressed that they do not want to take sides.

In short,from the perspective of strategic analysis,the superficial goal orientation and resources allocation of the US Indo-Pacific strategy are shortsighted and harmful,which will not make any constructive contribution to the Indo-Pacific region,and is even difficult to establish a benign interaction between the U.S.and the entire region.