The Biden administration insists the Indo-Pacific strategy it is rolling out is not just about China’s increasingly aggressive moves to threaten its neighbors and dominate the region.
The policy also aims to address issues such as climate change — seen by the White House as an “existential threat” — and moving beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
A senior administration official on Friday said the new policy recognizes the growing importance of the Indo-Pacific region to the United States.
“It builds on what we see is a very broad, bipartisan consensus in the United States on the importance of the region,” the official said. “We are continuing to build on what’s been done before [by previous administrations] but trying to develop it.”
While China may threaten its neighbors, it also remains an economic powerhouse, and nearby countries are hesitant about antagonizing Beijing.
“We believe there is a real interest in a positive U.S. vision. We have to work with allies and partners in the region — as well as from outside the region — to be effective,” the Biden administration official said. “Our partners are very realistic about the constraints and challenges in which we operate.”
The administration said it will advance a free and open Indo-Pacific region by investing in democratic institutions and a free press; improving fiscal transparency; ensuring the region’s seas and skies are governed according to international law; and standing up for democracy in Myanmar.
The strategy contends that American economic prosperity is linked to the Indo-Pacific, making it crucial for the U.S. to promote free, fair and open trade. The administration will develop approaches to trade that will meet high labor and environmental standards, White House officials said.
“No region is more vital to the U.S. in the future. American security and prosperity fundamentally depend on it,” the administration official told reporters in a briefing. “We have had strong trading links in the region going back well over a century.”
The White House said the new Indo-Pacific strategy also highlights the growing importance of India to stability and security in the region, calling the country a “critical strategic partner.”
Along with Japan, Australia and the United States, India is a member of the ongoing strategic security dialogue known as the Quad.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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