The United States issued a new strategy for building a free and open Indo-Pacific region that is connected, prosperous, secure and resilient.
The strategy (PDF, 342KB), issued February 11, affirms America’s commitment to its Indo-Pacific partners and outlines steps for increased involvement in the region and greater cooperation.
“The Indo-Pacific is the most dynamic region in the world, and its future affects people everywhere,” a White House fact sheet on the strategy says. It is “President Biden’s vision to more firmly anchor the United States in the Indo-Pacific and strengthen the region in the process.”
The Indo-Pacific is home to more than half of the world’s people and nearly two-thirds of the global economy.
The United States is a proud Indo-Pacific nation and has long recognized the region’s importance. Under the strategy, the United States will:
- Support a free and open Indo-Pacific by investing in democratic institutions, a free press and vibrant civil society. The effort includes advancing common approaches to critical and emerging technologies and upholding international law in the skies and at sea.
- Stay connected by strengthening treaty alliances and partnerships and empowering the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
- Advance free, fair and open trade to increase prosperity and support infrastructure development, while rebuilding supply chains and expanding economic opportunities.
- Bolster security by deepening cooperation and interoperability with allies and partners to deter aggression and coercion. Innovation will allow for a quick response to threats in space, cyberspace, and areas involving critical and emerging technology.
- Work with partners to strengthen resilience to transnational threats to the climate and global health, by developing targets to limit global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, reduce vulnerabilities to climate impacts and bolster global health security.
In February 12 remarks at Denarau Island, Fiji, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the new strategy results from a year of consultation with Indo-Pacific partners and focuses on the priorities of the region’s people.
“Every defining issue of the 21st century runs through this region: the climate crisis, global health, the future of technology, whether nations will be free to chart their own path or be subject to coercion by more powerful nations,” Blinken said. “We’re strengthening our relationships in every corner of the region.”