China’ s Perspectives and Reactions towards Indo-Pacific Strategy

Abstract

In this research entitled “China’s Perspectives and Reactions towards Indo-Pacific Strategy,” the researcher studies (1) the formation of the Indo-Pacific strategy by the United States and regional allies     (2) China's perspectives and attitudes towards the Indo-Pacific strategy. (3) China's reaction to the Indo-Pacific strategy understood as a U.S.-led containment strategy against China. This research is qualitative research consisting of documentary research using descriptive and analytical study methods. The research found that under the United States National Security Strategy announced in 2017, the Indo-Pacific Strategy is one of the main measures to contain China. By implementing this strategy, the United States has focused on dialogues with key regional allies including Japan, India and Australia. The United States and allies employ the Indo-Pacific Economic Cooperation Framework and multilateral frameworks to reduce China's influence in East Asia and maintain the U.S. liberal hegemonic power.

China's perspectives and attitudes towards the Indo-Pacific strategy are as follows (1) the ignorant view of Chinese leaders (2) the perspective of China's containment strategy; (3) the perspective of geopolitical competition comparing with NATO and Cold War (4) the perspective on institutional formation and imagination of the Indo-Pacific region. China's reactions towards the Indo-Pacific strategy are at the global, regional and bilateral levels. At the global level, China has been promoting Global Development Initiatives and improve the image of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). At the regional level, China strongly promotes cooperation in the Asia-Pacific framework and supporting the centrality of ASEAN. In adjusting bilateral relations with India, Japan and Australia, China has the so-called cooptation policy of seeking cooperation with close allies of the United States. Since Biden government has implemented “semi-containment, semi-interaction” with China, the United States – China relations can be improved to avert crises and find ways to avoid the Thucydides trap as well as a return to Cold War era.