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"This book examines the origins of the U.S. Navy's 2007 Maritime Strategy, the formation of the U.S. government's "Pivot to Asia" strategy, and the most recent revisions to this strategy that focus more specifically on China. Besides examining the details of this strategy formulation, the book explores the internal and external repercussions on the U.S. Navy of the Pivot to Asia. It discusses the "Fat Leonard" scandal, which involved bribery and corruption in contracts for the maintenance of the U.S. fleets in the region, and considers the sharp decrease in training and readiness of the Pacific fleet to support the pivot, which in turn led to a serious maritime collision. It also assesses the impact of the pivot on other countries in the region, engaging in the debate as to whether the pivot was necessary in order to convince the countries of the region that the United States had not lost its staying power, or whether the pivot managed to make tensions in the Asia-Pacific worse even while allowing the strategic situation in the Middle East and Europe to worsen as a result of neglect"--
Book Synopsis The U.S. Navy's "pivot to Asia" by : Bruce A. Elleman
Download or read book The U.S. Navy's "pivot to Asia" written by Bruce A. Elleman and published by . This book was released on 2023 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This book examines the origins of the U.S. Navy's 2007 Maritime Strategy, the formation of the U.S. government's "Pivot to Asia" strategy, and the most recent revisions to this strategy that focus more specifically on China. Besides examining the details of this strategy formulation, the book explores the internal and external repercussions on the U.S. Navy of the Pivot to Asia. It discusses the "Fat Leonard" scandal, which involved bribery and corruption in contracts for the maintenance of the U.S. fleets in the region, and considers the sharp decrease in training and readiness of the Pacific fleet to support the pivot, which in turn led to a serious maritime collision. It also assesses the impact of the pivot on other countries in the region, engaging in the debate as to whether the pivot was necessary in order to convince the countries of the region that the United States had not lost its staying power, or whether the pivot managed to make tensions in the Asia-Pacific worse even while allowing the strategic situation in the Middle East and Europe to worsen as a result of neglect"--
This book examines the origins of the US Navy’s 2007 Maritime Strategy, the formation of the US government’s “Pivot to Asia” strategy, and the most recent revisions to this strategy that focus more specifically on China. Besides examining the details of this strategy formulation, the book explores the internal and external repercussions on the US Navy of the Pivot to Asia. It discusses the “Fat Leonard” scandal, which involved bribery and corruption in contracts for the maintenance of the US fleets in the region, and considers the sharp decrease in training and readiness of the Pacific fleet to support the pivot, which in turn led to serious maritime collisions. It also assesses the impact of the pivot on other countries in the region, engaging in the debate as to whether the pivot was necessary in order to convince the countries of the region that the United States had not lost its staying power, or whether the pivot managed to make tensions in the Asia-Pacific worse even while allowing the strategic situation in the Middle East and Europe to worsen as a result of neglect.
Book Synopsis The United States Navy’s Pivot to Asia by : Bruce A. Elleman
Download or read book The United States Navy’s Pivot to Asia written by Bruce A. Elleman and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-06-30 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the origins of the US Navy’s 2007 Maritime Strategy, the formation of the US government’s “Pivot to Asia” strategy, and the most recent revisions to this strategy that focus more specifically on China. Besides examining the details of this strategy formulation, the book explores the internal and external repercussions on the US Navy of the Pivot to Asia. It discusses the “Fat Leonard” scandal, which involved bribery and corruption in contracts for the maintenance of the US fleets in the region, and considers the sharp decrease in training and readiness of the Pacific fleet to support the pivot, which in turn led to serious maritime collisions. It also assesses the impact of the pivot on other countries in the region, engaging in the debate as to whether the pivot was necessary in order to convince the countries of the region that the United States had not lost its staying power, or whether the pivot managed to make tensions in the Asia-Pacific worse even while allowing the strategic situation in the Middle East and Europe to worsen as a result of neglect.
Barack Obama’s "rebalancing" or "pivot" strategy, intended to demonstrate continued US commitment to the Asia-Pacific region in a variety of military, economic, and diplomatic contexts, was launched with much fanfare in 2011. Implicit in the new strategy is both a focus on China – engagement with, and containment of – and a heavy reliance by the United States on its existing friends and allies in the region in order to implement its strategy. This book explores the impact of the new strategy on America’s regional friends and allies. It shows how these governments are working with Washington to advance and protect their distinct national interests, while at the same time avoiding any direct confrontation with China. It also addresses the reasons why many of these regional actors harbour concerns about the ability of the US to sustain the pivot strategy in the long run. Overall, the book illustrates the deep complexities of the United States’ exercise of power and influence in the region.
Book Synopsis The New US Strategy towards Asia by : William T Tow
Download or read book The New US Strategy towards Asia written by William T Tow and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-12-17 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Barack Obama’s "rebalancing" or "pivot" strategy, intended to demonstrate continued US commitment to the Asia-Pacific region in a variety of military, economic, and diplomatic contexts, was launched with much fanfare in 2011. Implicit in the new strategy is both a focus on China – engagement with, and containment of – and a heavy reliance by the United States on its existing friends and allies in the region in order to implement its strategy. This book explores the impact of the new strategy on America’s regional friends and allies. It shows how these governments are working with Washington to advance and protect their distinct national interests, while at the same time avoiding any direct confrontation with China. It also addresses the reasons why many of these regional actors harbour concerns about the ability of the US to sustain the pivot strategy in the long run. Overall, the book illustrates the deep complexities of the United States’ exercise of power and influence in the region.
From former assistant secretary of state Kurt M. Campbell comes the definitive analysis and explanation of the new major shift in American foreign policy, its interests and assets, to Asia. There is a quiet drama playing out in American foreign policy far from the dark contours of upheaval in the Middle East and South Asia and the hovering drone attacks of the war on terror. The United States is in the midst of a substantial and long-term national project, which is proceeding in fits and starts, to reorient its foreign policy to the East. The central tenet of this policy shift, aka the Pivot, is that the United States will need to do more with and in the Asia-Pacific hemisphere to help revitalize its own economy, to realize the full potential of the region's dramatic innovation, and to keep the peace in the world's most dynamic region where the lion's share of the history of the twenty-first century will be written. This book is about a necessary course correction for American diplomacy, commercial engagement, and military innovation during a time of unrelenting and largely unrewarding conflict. While the United States has intensified its focus on the Asia-Pacific arena relative to previous administrations, much more remains to be done. The Pivot is about that future. It explores how the United States should construct a strategy that will position it to maneuver across the East and offers a clarion call for cunning, dexterity, and ingenuity in the period ahead for American statecraft in the Asia-Pacific region.
Book Synopsis The Pivot by : Kurt Campbell
Download or read book The Pivot written by Kurt Campbell and published by Twelve. This book was released on 2016-06-07 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From former assistant secretary of state Kurt M. Campbell comes the definitive analysis and explanation of the new major shift in American foreign policy, its interests and assets, to Asia. There is a quiet drama playing out in American foreign policy far from the dark contours of upheaval in the Middle East and South Asia and the hovering drone attacks of the war on terror. The United States is in the midst of a substantial and long-term national project, which is proceeding in fits and starts, to reorient its foreign policy to the East. The central tenet of this policy shift, aka the Pivot, is that the United States will need to do more with and in the Asia-Pacific hemisphere to help revitalize its own economy, to realize the full potential of the region's dramatic innovation, and to keep the peace in the world's most dynamic region where the lion's share of the history of the twenty-first century will be written. This book is about a necessary course correction for American diplomacy, commercial engagement, and military innovation during a time of unrelenting and largely unrewarding conflict. While the United States has intensified its focus on the Asia-Pacific arena relative to previous administrations, much more remains to be done. The Pivot is about that future. It explores how the United States should construct a strategy that will position it to maneuver across the East and offers a clarion call for cunning, dexterity, and ingenuity in the period ahead for American statecraft in the Asia-Pacific region.
Executive Summary. 1. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched the idea of a U.S. "pivot to Asia" in an article in Foreign Policy magazine in November 2011. The article was titled "America's Pacific Century". 2. President Obama followed up with trips to Asia. He also decided to establish a marine base in Australia, give more emphasis to US Navy's mission in Asia, burnish US alliances in Asia, and view Asia a more important place in America's diplomatic, strategic and economic future. 3. The policy became controversial mainly because of uncertainty whether it was the right policy and if it could be duly implemented given the financial status of the United States. Critics soon enunciated other arguments against the pivot. 4. The success of the pivot depends mainly on two things: The US has to rally its Asian allies. America has to realize a gain from ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But are these suppositions proving true? 5. The pivot is perceived to be an anti-China policy designed to stem or contain the rise of China. Beijing so interpreted it. This evokes a serious question: Does America want to make China an enemy or alienate Beijing with this policy? Or can Washington maintain America's engagement with China? 6. The pivot is seen as a strategic shift in US policy, but it arguably needs to be more than that. The Trans-Pacific Partnership, which became a major tenet of US policy at this time, was said to be the economic arm of the pivot. But it is controversial and faces opposition. 7. Clearly the pivot is an important tenet of US foreign policy, but it has yet to prove itself. -- p. i.
Book Synopsis America's Asia Pivot by : John Franklin Copper
Download or read book America's Asia Pivot written by John Franklin Copper and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 26 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Executive Summary. 1. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched the idea of a U.S. "pivot to Asia" in an article in Foreign Policy magazine in November 2011. The article was titled "America's Pacific Century". 2. President Obama followed up with trips to Asia. He also decided to establish a marine base in Australia, give more emphasis to US Navy's mission in Asia, burnish US alliances in Asia, and view Asia a more important place in America's diplomatic, strategic and economic future. 3. The policy became controversial mainly because of uncertainty whether it was the right policy and if it could be duly implemented given the financial status of the United States. Critics soon enunciated other arguments against the pivot. 4. The success of the pivot depends mainly on two things: The US has to rally its Asian allies. America has to realize a gain from ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But are these suppositions proving true? 5. The pivot is perceived to be an anti-China policy designed to stem or contain the rise of China. Beijing so interpreted it. This evokes a serious question: Does America want to make China an enemy or alienate Beijing with this policy? Or can Washington maintain America's engagement with China? 6. The pivot is seen as a strategic shift in US policy, but it arguably needs to be more than that. The Trans-Pacific Partnership, which became a major tenet of US policy at this time, was said to be the economic arm of the pivot. But it is controversial and faces opposition. 7. Clearly the pivot is an important tenet of US foreign policy, but it has yet to prove itself. -- p. i.
Xi Jinping has made his ambitions for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) perfectly clear, there is no mystery what he wants, first, that China should become a "great maritime power" and secondly, that the PLA "become a world-class armed force by 2050." He wants this latter objective to be largely completed by 2035. China as a Twenty-First-Century Naval Power focuses on China's navy and how it is being transformed to satisfy the "world class" goal. Beginning with an exploration of why China is seeking to become such a major maritime power, author Michael McDevitt first explores the strategic rationale behind Xi's two objectives. China's reliance on foreign trade and overseas interests such as China's Belt and Road strategy. In turn this has created concerns within the senior levels of China's military about the vulnerability of its overseas interests and maritime life-lines. is a major theme. McDevitt dubs this China's "sea lane anxiety" and traces how this has required the PLA Navy to evolve from a "near seas"-focused navy to one that has global reach; a "blue water navy." He details how quickly this transformation has taken place, thanks to a patient step-by-step approach and abundant funding. The more than 10 years of anti-piracy patrols in the far reaches of the Indian Ocean has acted as a learning curve accelerator to "blue water" status. McDevitt then explores the PLA Navy's role in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. He provides a detailed assessment of what the PLAN will be expected to do if Beijing chooses to attack Taiwan potentially triggering combat with America's "first responders" in East Asia, especially the U.S. Seventh Fleet and U.S. Fifth Air Force. He conducts a close exploration of how the PLA Navy fits into China's campaign plan aimed at keeping reinforcing U.S. forces at arm's length (what the Pentagon calls anti-access and area denial [A2/AD]) if war has broken out over Taiwan, or because of attacks on U.S. allies and friends that live in the shadow of China. McDevitt does not know how Xi defines "world class" but the evidence from the past 15 years of building a blue water force has already made the PLA Navy the second largest globally capable navy in the world. This book concludes with a forecast of what Xi's vision of a "world-class navy" might look like in the next fifteen years when the 2035 deadline is reached.
Book Synopsis China as a Twenty-First Century Naval Power by : Michael A McDevitt
Download or read book China as a Twenty-First Century Naval Power written by Michael A McDevitt and published by Naval Institute Press. This book was released on 2020-10-15 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Xi Jinping has made his ambitions for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) perfectly clear, there is no mystery what he wants, first, that China should become a "great maritime power" and secondly, that the PLA "become a world-class armed force by 2050." He wants this latter objective to be largely completed by 2035. China as a Twenty-First-Century Naval Power focuses on China's navy and how it is being transformed to satisfy the "world class" goal. Beginning with an exploration of why China is seeking to become such a major maritime power, author Michael McDevitt first explores the strategic rationale behind Xi's two objectives. China's reliance on foreign trade and overseas interests such as China's Belt and Road strategy. In turn this has created concerns within the senior levels of China's military about the vulnerability of its overseas interests and maritime life-lines. is a major theme. McDevitt dubs this China's "sea lane anxiety" and traces how this has required the PLA Navy to evolve from a "near seas"-focused navy to one that has global reach; a "blue water navy." He details how quickly this transformation has taken place, thanks to a patient step-by-step approach and abundant funding. The more than 10 years of anti-piracy patrols in the far reaches of the Indian Ocean has acted as a learning curve accelerator to "blue water" status. McDevitt then explores the PLA Navy's role in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. He provides a detailed assessment of what the PLAN will be expected to do if Beijing chooses to attack Taiwan potentially triggering combat with America's "first responders" in East Asia, especially the U.S. Seventh Fleet and U.S. Fifth Air Force. He conducts a close exploration of how the PLA Navy fits into China's campaign plan aimed at keeping reinforcing U.S. forces at arm's length (what the Pentagon calls anti-access and area denial [A2/AD]) if war has broken out over Taiwan, or because of attacks on U.S. allies and friends that live in the shadow of China. McDevitt does not know how Xi defines "world class" but the evidence from the past 15 years of building a blue water force has already made the PLA Navy the second largest globally capable navy in the world. This book concludes with a forecast of what Xi's vision of a "world-class navy" might look like in the next fifteen years when the 2035 deadline is reached.
The Pivot to Asia: Can It Serve As The Foundation For American Grand Strategy In The 21 St Century? This monograph is an audit of the policies pursued by the Obama Administration in support of the so-called "pivot to Asia." After explaining why U.S. President Barack Obama chose to accord top priority to the Indo-Asia-Pacific (IAP) region, Dr. Douglas T. Stuart discusses the diplomatic, information, military, and economic instruments of power, which were available to Washington to accomplish its goals. Dr. Stuart notes that the United States faced some unique problems in its efforts to rely upon diplomacy, public information, and economics to gain influence in the region. Under these circumstances, Washington drew upon its substantial regional military presence as the foundation for its pivot campaign. Dr. Stuart discusses both the strengths and weaknesses of the so-called San Francisco network of U.S.-sponsored security relationships with key regional governments. He notes that the Obama Administration has had to adapt its policies to the specific interests and concerns of each regional actor, with varying degrees of success. He accords special attention to the security concerns of Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and India.
Book Synopsis The Pivot to Asia by : United States Government Us Army
Download or read book The Pivot to Asia written by United States Government Us Army and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-12-03 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Pivot to Asia: Can It Serve As The Foundation For American Grand Strategy In The 21 St Century? This monograph is an audit of the policies pursued by the Obama Administration in support of the so-called "pivot to Asia." After explaining why U.S. President Barack Obama chose to accord top priority to the Indo-Asia-Pacific (IAP) region, Dr. Douglas T. Stuart discusses the diplomatic, information, military, and economic instruments of power, which were available to Washington to accomplish its goals. Dr. Stuart notes that the United States faced some unique problems in its efforts to rely upon diplomacy, public information, and economics to gain influence in the region. Under these circumstances, Washington drew upon its substantial regional military presence as the foundation for its pivot campaign. Dr. Stuart discusses both the strengths and weaknesses of the so-called San Francisco network of U.S.-sponsored security relationships with key regional governments. He notes that the Obama Administration has had to adapt its policies to the specific interests and concerns of each regional actor, with varying degrees of success. He accords special attention to the security concerns of Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and India.
Leading academics from around the world, who specialize in analysing maritime strategic issues, deliberate the impact of the American 'pivot' or 're-balance' strategy, and the 'Air-Sea Battle' operational concept, on the maritime power and posture of a number of selected states. Intending to strengthen US economic, diplomatic, and security engagement throughout the Asia-Pacific, both bilaterally and multilaterally, the re-balance stands out as one of the Obama administration's most far-sighted and ambitious foreign policy initiatives.
Book Synopsis Assessing Maritime Power in the Asia-Pacific by : Greg Kennedy
Download or read book Assessing Maritime Power in the Asia-Pacific written by Greg Kennedy and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-03-09 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Leading academics from around the world, who specialize in analysing maritime strategic issues, deliberate the impact of the American 'pivot' or 're-balance' strategy, and the 'Air-Sea Battle' operational concept, on the maritime power and posture of a number of selected states. Intending to strengthen US economic, diplomatic, and security engagement throughout the Asia-Pacific, both bilaterally and multilaterally, the re-balance stands out as one of the Obama administration's most far-sighted and ambitious foreign policy initiatives.
Soon after the American Revolution, ?certain of the founders began to recognize the strategic significance of Asia and the Pacific and the vast material and cultural resources at stake there. Over the coming generations, the United States continued to ask how best to expand trade with the region and whether to partner with China, at the center of the continent, or Japan, looking toward the Pacific. Where should the United States draw its defensive line, and how should it export democratic principles? In a history that spans the eighteenth century to the present, Michael J. Green follows the development of U.S. strategic thinking toward East Asia, identifying recurring themes in American statecraft that reflect the nation's political philosophy and material realities. Drawing on archives, interviews, and his own experience in the Pentagon and White House, Green finds one overarching concern driving U.S. policy toward East Asia: a fear that a rival power might use the Pacific to isolate and threaten the United States and prevent the ocean from becoming a conduit for the westward free flow of trade, values, and forward defense. By More Than Providence works through these problems from the perspective of history's major strategists and statesmen, from Thomas Jefferson to Alfred Thayer Mahan and Henry Kissinger. It records the fate of their ideas as they collided with the realities of the Far East and adds clarity to America's stakes in the region, especially when compared with those of Europe and the Middle East.
Book Synopsis By More Than Providence by : Michael J. Green
Download or read book By More Than Providence written by Michael J. Green and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2017-03-21 with total page 760 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Soon after the American Revolution, ?certain of the founders began to recognize the strategic significance of Asia and the Pacific and the vast material and cultural resources at stake there. Over the coming generations, the United States continued to ask how best to expand trade with the region and whether to partner with China, at the center of the continent, or Japan, looking toward the Pacific. Where should the United States draw its defensive line, and how should it export democratic principles? In a history that spans the eighteenth century to the present, Michael J. Green follows the development of U.S. strategic thinking toward East Asia, identifying recurring themes in American statecraft that reflect the nation's political philosophy and material realities. Drawing on archives, interviews, and his own experience in the Pentagon and White House, Green finds one overarching concern driving U.S. policy toward East Asia: a fear that a rival power might use the Pacific to isolate and threaten the United States and prevent the ocean from becoming a conduit for the westward free flow of trade, values, and forward defense. By More Than Providence works through these problems from the perspective of history's major strategists and statesmen, from Thomas Jefferson to Alfred Thayer Mahan and Henry Kissinger. It records the fate of their ideas as they collided with the realities of the Far East and adds clarity to America's stakes in the region, especially when compared with those of Europe and the Middle East.
The Obama Administration deserves credit for assigning top priority to the Indo-Asia-Pacific (IAP) region; nonetheless, the President has faced serious problems in his implementation of the "pivot to Asia" strategy. This monograph begins with a discussion of the instruments of national power that were available to the Obama Administration in support of the pivot strategy. Since the United States was much stronger in terms of military resources than it was in terms of diplomatic, informational, and economic resources, the Obama Administration opted to build its pivot strategy on the foundation of the so-called San Francisco network of military relationships with regional friends and allies. The San Francisco system is impressive in terms of its military capabilities, its flexibility, and its adaptability, but it is also burdened with some defects. The most serious flaw is that it is geostrategically top-heavy, with two anchor points in Northeast Asia (South Korea and Japan) and a much less developed infrastructure of bases and troop concentrations throughout the rest of the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. Dr. Douglas T. Stuart notes that the vast size and complexity of the IAP region has made it impossible for the United States to pursue a one-size-fits-all pivot strategy. Rather, the Obama Administration has had to develop policies that resonate with the specific interests and concerns of each regional friend and ally. Not surprisingly, Washington has had mixed success in its efforts to recruit support among IAP governments. To illustrate this point, Dr. Stuart draws upon remarks by regional experts who are contributors to a recently published volume by William Tow and Douglas Stuart, eds., The New US Strategy Towards Asia: Adapting to the American Pivot (New York: Routledge, 2015). Virtually all of these experts express some doubts about America's ability to sustain the pivot strategy over the long term. This monograph then focuses on U.S.-China relations, with particular emphasis on debates among representatives of two schools of thought: * "Containers," people who are inclined to focus on worst-case scenarios and favor the explicit or implicit containment of China. This group is criticized for risking a "self-fulfilling prophesy"; and,* "Adapters," people who argue that Washington must make room for China, both in the region and in the world. These individuals are criticized for "self-deluding optimism." Dr. Stuart also discusses the arguments of "Game Changers," those who challenge the assumption that China will continue to rise as an economic and military power. In a situation in which the Obama Administration cannot make a definitive choice in favor of one of these schools of thought, it has opted for a policy of "hedging" in order to keep its options open. Unfortunately, it is a comment on the tragic nature of international relations that hedging policies are likely to be interpreted negatively by the target of such actions-thus moving both nations closer to what Graham Allison calls the "Thucydides Trap." Dr. Stuart recommends certain policies that may make this unwanted development less likely.The final section of this monograph looks beyond the Western Pacific, noting the growing importance of India and Beijing's efforts to expand its influence into Central Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America. Dr. Stuart also discusses the problems that the Obama Administration has been forced to confront in other countries, such as Ukraine, Libya, and Syria among others that have complicated its efforts to keep the U.S. focus on the pivot strategy in the IAP region. Dr. Stuart concludes with some lessons for strategists, derived from the Obama team's experience with the pivot.
Book Synopsis The Pivot to Asia by : Douglas T. Stuart
Download or read book The Pivot to Asia written by Douglas T. Stuart and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-09-04 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Obama Administration deserves credit for assigning top priority to the Indo-Asia-Pacific (IAP) region; nonetheless, the President has faced serious problems in his implementation of the "pivot to Asia" strategy. This monograph begins with a discussion of the instruments of national power that were available to the Obama Administration in support of the pivot strategy. Since the United States was much stronger in terms of military resources than it was in terms of diplomatic, informational, and economic resources, the Obama Administration opted to build its pivot strategy on the foundation of the so-called San Francisco network of military relationships with regional friends and allies. The San Francisco system is impressive in terms of its military capabilities, its flexibility, and its adaptability, but it is also burdened with some defects. The most serious flaw is that it is geostrategically top-heavy, with two anchor points in Northeast Asia (South Korea and Japan) and a much less developed infrastructure of bases and troop concentrations throughout the rest of the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. Dr. Douglas T. Stuart notes that the vast size and complexity of the IAP region has made it impossible for the United States to pursue a one-size-fits-all pivot strategy. Rather, the Obama Administration has had to develop policies that resonate with the specific interests and concerns of each regional friend and ally. Not surprisingly, Washington has had mixed success in its efforts to recruit support among IAP governments. To illustrate this point, Dr. Stuart draws upon remarks by regional experts who are contributors to a recently published volume by William Tow and Douglas Stuart, eds., The New US Strategy Towards Asia: Adapting to the American Pivot (New York: Routledge, 2015). Virtually all of these experts express some doubts about America's ability to sustain the pivot strategy over the long term. This monograph then focuses on U.S.-China relations, with particular emphasis on debates among representatives of two schools of thought: * "Containers," people who are inclined to focus on worst-case scenarios and favor the explicit or implicit containment of China. This group is criticized for risking a "self-fulfilling prophesy"; and,* "Adapters," people who argue that Washington must make room for China, both in the region and in the world. These individuals are criticized for "self-deluding optimism." Dr. Stuart also discusses the arguments of "Game Changers," those who challenge the assumption that China will continue to rise as an economic and military power. In a situation in which the Obama Administration cannot make a definitive choice in favor of one of these schools of thought, it has opted for a policy of "hedging" in order to keep its options open. Unfortunately, it is a comment on the tragic nature of international relations that hedging policies are likely to be interpreted negatively by the target of such actions-thus moving both nations closer to what Graham Allison calls the "Thucydides Trap." Dr. Stuart recommends certain policies that may make this unwanted development less likely.The final section of this monograph looks beyond the Western Pacific, noting the growing importance of India and Beijing's efforts to expand its influence into Central Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America. Dr. Stuart also discusses the problems that the Obama Administration has been forced to confront in other countries, such as Ukraine, Libya, and Syria among others that have complicated its efforts to keep the U.S. focus on the pivot strategy in the IAP region. Dr. Stuart concludes with some lessons for strategists, derived from the Obama team's experience with the pivot.
