The Indo-Pacific and Trump II. In Uncle Sam’s brutal embrace
In this collective analysis, the research team of the Center for Asian Studies presents a synthetic and non-exhaustive assessment of the relations taking shape between the United States under the Trump II administration and some of the main players in the Indo-Pacific.
Under the Trump II administration, US strategy in the Indo-Pacific is likely to be part of a bipartisan continuum, marked by strategic competition with China. The emphasis will be on economic pressure, notably via new trade sanctions, and increased military and technological engagement to counter Beijing. Washington’s allies and partners in the region, such as Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Australia, will continue to be mobilized to strengthen their posture against China, while pressure to increase their military spending and purchase US armaments will continue.
However, external factors such as political instability in South Korea and rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait could complicate the implementation of this strategy. In Southeast Asia, the delicate balance between economic dependence on China and security provided by the United States remains a major line of tension.
In sum, the Trump II administration is likely to pursue a determined, sometimes brutal, policy of engagement with its partners in the Indo-Pacific, while stepping up pressure on Beijing and adapting its priorities to emerging geopolitical challenges.
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The Indo-Pacific and Trump II. In Uncle Sam’s brutal embrace
Marc JULIENNE
Director, Center for Asian Studies, Ifri
Céline PAJON
Research Fellow, Head of Japan and Indo-Pacific Research, Center for Asian Studies, Ifri
John SEAMAN
Research Fellow, Center for Asian Studies, Ifri
Sylvia MALINBAUM
Research Fellow, Head of India and South Asia Research, Center for Asian Studies, Ifri
Isabelle SAINT-MEZARD
Associate Research Fellow, Center for Asian Studies, Ifri
Juliette LOESCH
Associate Research Fellow, Center for Asian Studies, Ifri
Françoise NICOLAS
Senior Advisor, Center for Asian Studies, Ifri
Christian LECHERVY
Advisor to the Program on Pacific Islands, Center for Asian Studies, Ifri
Center for Asian Studies
Asia is a nerve center for multiple global economic, political and security challenges. The Center for Asian Studies provides documented expertise and a platform for discussion on Asian issues to accompany decision makers and explain and contextualize developments in the region for the sake of a larger public dialogue.
The Center's research is organized along two major axes: relations between Asia's major powers and the rest of the world; and internal economic and social dynamics of Asian countries. The Center's research focuses primarily on China, Japan, India, Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific, but also covers Southeast Asia, the Korean peninsula and the Pacific Islands.
The Centre for Asian Studies maintains close institutional links with counterpart research institutes in Europe and Asia, and its researchers regularly carry out fieldwork in the region.
The Center organizes closed-door roundtables, expert-level seminars and a number of public events, including an Annual Conference, that welcome experts from Asia, Europe and the United States. The work of Center’s researchers, as well as that of their partners, is regularly published in the Center’s electronic journal Asie.Visions.
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