Middle-Power Responses to China's BRI and America's Indo-Pacific Strategy: A Transformation of Geopolitics

Asia is at a geopolitical crossroads, with China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) Strategy sharing common features. Competition between China and the US leads to ambiguity, making reactions and responses in foreign policy more difficult. Middle-Power Responses to Chinas BRI and Americas Indo-Pacific Strategy examines how the US-China geopolitical competition affects nations such as Taiwan, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and ASEAN, providing insights from an international, multidisciplinary group of experts.

Format: Hardback
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 14 April 2022
Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited

Asia is currently at a critical juncture in its geopolitical landscape, with significant developments unfolding across the region. The launch of China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013 has sparked a response from Japan and the United States, with the latter introducing the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) Strategy in November 2017. While these two initiatives share some common features, such as their ambiguity and competitiveness, it is these qualities that are particularly important in assessing their impact on foreign policy.

Competition between China and the United States often leads to ambiguity, making it challenging for nations to respond effectively to their actions. This is particularly evident in the case of the BRI and FOIP, as both initiatives are designed to influence the geopolitical landscape of the Asia-Pacific region. The chapters in this book explore how these two initiatives affect nations as diverse as Taiwan, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the member states of ASEAN.

The authors of Middle-Power Responses to Chinas BRI and Americas Indo-Pacific Strategy are a diverse group of international experts, including military flag officers, academic researchers, current and former government officials, and retired diplomats. Their contributions provide a well-rounded and multifaceted view of the transformation that is currently taking place in the geopolitics of the Asia-Pacific.

One of the key insights of the book is that neither the BRI nor the FOIP exists in isolation. Instead, they are part of a broader geopolitical competition between China and the United States, which is shaping the region's political, economic, and security landscape. The authors argue that this competition is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, and that it will have significant implications for the countries involved.

The chapters in this book examine how the US-China geopolitical competition affects nations in the Asia-Pacific region in a variety of ways. For example, they explore how the BRI has impacted infrastructure development in countries such as Pakistan and Sri Lanka, while the FOIP has aimed to strengthen ties with countries in the region to counter China's influence. The authors also examine how the competition is affecting regional security, with particular attention to the South China Sea and the East China Sea.

In conclusion, Asia is at a geopolitical crossroads, with significant developments unfolding across the region. The launch of China's BRI and the introduction of the FOIP Strategy by the United States have sparked a competition that is shaping the geopolitical landscape of the Asia-Pacific. Middle-Power Responses to Chinas BRI and Americas Indo-Pacific Strategy provides valuable insights into how this competition affects nations as diverse as Taiwan, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the member states of ASEAN. By examining the impact of these two initiatives on a range of issues, including infrastructure development, regional security, and economic cooperation, the book offers a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities that the Asia-Pacific region faces in the years to come.

Dimension: 229 x 152 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781801170246