INDO-PACIFIC IN THE BIDEN’S ADMINISTRATION STRATEGY AND POLICY

Abstract

This paper discusses the place of Indo-Pacific in the strategic documents of Biden’s administration, and implementation of its regional strategy with a focus on the development of U.S. bilateral and multilateral cooperation with treaty allies. It also identifies continuity and differences in its regional policy, compared to the previous administrations of D. Trump and B. Obama. This is an empirical study, based on a critical analysis of historical sources, that employes the research methods of content analysis of strategic and diplomatic documents, and comparative analysis of U.S. regional strategy and policy under the administrations of Joe Biden, D. Trump and B. Obama. The research revealed that Biden’s administration developed an integrated regional strategy and a concept of “integrated deterrence of aggression” by China, Russia, and other states within the framework of a “free and open Indo-Pacific”, inherited from Trump administration. It emphasized the importance of reinforcing treaty alliances and developing multilateral partnerships with the U.S. allies. While implementing this strategy, the United States deepened cooperation with Japan and Australia, resolved the most pressing problems in relations with the Republic of Korea, restored a high level of cooperation with the Philippines, and signed a new strategic document on the goals of the alliance with Thailand. Biden’s administration achieved the most progress, compared to previous ones, in creating and developing multilateral partnerships involving the U.S. allies. Following the policy of Obama administrations, trilateral cooperation with Japan and the Republic of Korea was institutionalized. In addition, the trilateral partnerships of the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia (AUKUS) and the United States, Japan, and the Philippines were launched, as well as the quadrilateral cooperation of the United States, Japan, the Philippines, and Australia. The U.S. continued the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), resumed by the Trump administration; it was elevated to the level of summits. Like other Democratic administrations, it emphasized importance of multilateral economic U.S. involvement in the region. New approaches to regional economic cooperation were proposed through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) and the Global Infrastructure and Investment Partnership initiatives.