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Declassified US document reveals Indo-Pacific strategy. But where is Indonesia?
Indonesia and other nations from Southeast Asia have warranted scarce mention in the United States' grand strategy for the Indo-Pacific region, which was declassified last week at the tail end of the Donald Trump administration.
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This pixelated image shows the nations of Southeast Asia and the wider region. The continuity of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is likely to depend on stability in the Indo-Pacific region, experts have said. (Shutterstock/File)
T
he United States has revealed classified information detailing its grand strategy for the Indo-Pacific, which was supposed to remain secret until the year 2042.
Revelations from the document could pose a new concern for Indonesia and the wider Southeast Asia region, experts have said, as the US strategy mainly focuses on China.
In a declassified national security document published last week, the US government revealed the details of an Indo-Pacific strategy that included “preventing China from establishing new, illiberal spheres of influence”.
The 10 partially redacted pages set out the US’ strategic priorities in the Indo-Pacific. It was drafted in 2017 and endorsed by Trump the following year.
The Indo-Pacific concept is a strategic reimagining of the Asia-Pacific in terms that are interpreted in different ways by different countries and interests. One common interpretation tries to take the focus away from China and its increasing influence in the wider region. The declassified document confirms this.
Upon the US strategy’s release, a briefing prepared by the US National Security Council endorsed the move as a statement of “enduring commitment” to the region.
Now, with information that was previously declared “not for foreign nationals”, experts question how deep that commitment runs and to whom it is directed.
