"Washington has sharpened its focus on the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) in recent years, with the Indo- Pacific Strategy (IPS) according ample attention to a massive maritime space that includes South Asia and stretches from eastern Africa to the west coast of Australia. This heightened focus can be attributed to intensifying geopolitical rivalry and US-China competition: Deepening US-China tensions have coincided with a westward push by Beijing across the Indo-Pacific to expand influence, both military and non-military.
However, Washington faces bureaucratic, strategic, and diplomatic challenges in making the IOR a more substantive part of its broader IPS."
Read more in this new policy brief from from Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute.
The Indo-Pacific in the World
To help inform US policymakers about the region and its many interconnected issue areas, this collection from the Indo-Pacific Program features reports analyzing and providing recommendations on US policy toward the region, key actors, and vital issues.
Read MoreAbout the Author
Indo-Pacific Program
The Indo-Pacific Program promotes policy debate and intellectual discussions on US interests in the Asia-Pacific as well as political, economic, security, and social issues relating to the world’s most populous and economically dynamic region. Read more
