The post Cold War realignment of international relations on Asia completely changes the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region. The more the West imports from China had pushed the world order towards the east. To demonstrate its strength, China had accommodated even the small islands.
The Chinese leadership visited Sri Lanka more than the Indian prime minister’s visit to the Island nation. New unprecedented but expected relationships were established which may display a moment of possibility in the current international politics. The best exemplar would be the US engagement with Cuba. While India now giving tacit welcome to the US military presence, but China tries to push the US as much as possible away from the Pacific may be due to its domestic instability. However, it also exposed China’s assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region. Hence, the US pivots Asia-Pacific strategy getting significance.
Has the new era demonstrating the declining the power of the US? It is a serious question. However, the US is the only sole superpower in the world that can deploy its military for any confrontation. The resent US involvements in the Middle East (ME) and North Africa (NA) did not demonstrate its defeat but indicating that the US alone cannot win a war against non-state actors. In this light, the US demands more partners. The interesting thing would be – on one side the globe is facing religious based terrorism and the other by the expansionist attitude of China. In the Asia-Pacific region though the US is having small partners, India and Australia would be the real strength for its Asia-Pacific strategy in balancing China.
Firstly, North Korea’s efforts in revelation of its missile have rising doubts and other side increasing concern of its motive. All its threatening statements against the US witness its links with Beijing. However, while the dragon simply caution on the demonstration of North Korean assertiveness would not taken to be rest easy. What would be the intention of North Korea? Why China does not concern over the behaviour of North Korea? Would China be caution if South Korea displays a warning against her? Then how would be possible for China to be muted while its neighbour threatening the US? Lot of question are rising without any answer.
Secondly, the resent statement by the Chinese President Xi Jinping, “We will resolutely contain Taiwan independence secessionist activities in any form” over the post-defeat of Kuomintang (KMT) in the resent president election.
Thirdly, China’s claim of South and East China Sea with its neighbours are demanding serious invitation to the international community to sort out any conflict before it breakout. The Chinese approach in the disputed area spread vibration to the surrounding countries particularly the Vietnamese and Philippines directly encounter this. Thus the Asia-Pacific region gradually moves toward a hot boiling point.
David Kaplan says the 21 century global politics will be played out by the major power in the Indian Ocean. The meeting of democratic nations under the US in the Pacific feel threaten to China but unwilling to give away its strategy in the South and East China sea should be closely noticed by the IR scholars described as the indication of Chinese uncomfortable posture. This can be compare with the anxiety of Russia while the US backyard the NATO reaching out to the Ukraine.
What next for the US Pivot Asia Pacific strategy? This would be a real question which hanging on the US election results. Already the US does have its shared vision document with India and other likeminded countries to maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. However, it has not taken off due to India’s reluctance at present. India is facing Chinese encirclement in the Indian Ocean keeping New Delhi to think twice to take any policy shift in the Asia-Pacific along with the US.
The largest navies in the Asia-Pacific region India and Australia should support the US initiative in the region. The geostrategic location of India and Australia connects Indian Ocean and the Pacific. India’s resent transformation on its relationship with Australia raises many questions. Hence, the US relations with India and Australia get more attention. This cooperation with India and Australia in the region mutually invite the US to maintain the region safer. The US along with India and Australia would not be a threat to a third party; however, a posture of deterrent to others who disturb the stability of the region.
Safeguarding the maritime security and ensuring freedom of navigation would be India’s priority in the Asia Pacific region. Hesitation by India and the US witnesses the inability to articulate the policy which they have consensus with each other. Last Jan 2015 the visiting US President Barak Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had signed the shared vision on Asia-Pacific. Now it was almost more than a year any kind of materialization of the vision document could not been seen. The failure at the start up stage demonstrates its weakness or determined hesitation. The continuous burning rift in the South China and the East China Sea demonstrated by China triggered tensions in the India-Pacific could not been realized by India’s security engagements would be perceived as the form of non-alignment nature still persist in the nature of India’s foreign policy formulation. It could have thought that the resent happening in the South China and the East China Sea would not be a irritant for India’s security. It is pity that still India could not perceive China already spreads its security net in the Indian Ocean targeting India in the name of ‘string of pearls’.
At the same time Australia also hesitate to join in these efforts. Australia is having strategic partnership with the US and trade relations with China. Further, it also part of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). India and China is not part of the TPP. The best reminder would be the failure of quadrilateral talks in 2007 under the George Bush Administration would not take off. This was perceived could be Australia’s concern over China’s protest.
At the same time India and the US have informal discussion on this issue on joint patrolling but denied that any kind of formal announcement on this regard. The US should take initiative in this regard to implement the shared vision on the Asia-Pacific along with India starting with the joint patrol in the region. If this effort takes off it would enable Australia to join further though they have no such agreement with the US like India on the Asia-Pacific.
While China reach out to the South China Sea vibrate the Asia-Pacific would affect the maritime security in the future. Articulating the TTP agreement Obama said, “We cannot allow China to write the rule of the world economy”. TTP would not alone balance the assertive China. However, sharpen diplomatic responds by the US along with India and Australia in the Asia-Pacific would communicate the language to China in maintaining peace and stability for the “just” shake of the international community.
