The Indo-Pacific is here to stay, with or without Washington, Pg11

Key Highlights:

• Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent visit to India underscored the enduring relevance of the Indo-Pacific as a geopolitical construct.
• India views the Indo-Pacific as a critical theatre for its national economic and security strategy, independent of shifts in U.S. policy.
• The Indo-Pacific concept, initially articulated by Japan's late Shinzo Abe as the "Confluence of the Two Seas" in 2007, predates its adoption by the U.S.
• Japan, under Prime Minister Takaichi, has updated its "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" strategy and significantly increased its defense spending, exceeding 2 percent of GDP.
• India and Japan are preparing a joint declaration on economic security, focusing on shared opposition to economic coercion and cooperation in critical sectors.
• China's expanding presence and strategic actions across the Indian and Pacific Oceans implicitly validate the integrated Indo-Pacific concept.

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Detailed Insights:

• The Trump administration officially adopted the Indo-Pacific lexicon in 2017, initially causing suspicion in India regarding potential anti-China alliances.
• Indian strategic discourse has historically swung between concerns of American "entrapment" and fears of "abandonment" regarding its regional strategy.
• The Indo-Pacific construct emerged from the changing distribution of economic and military power in Asia, primarily driven by China's rise and assertion.
• Shinzo Abe's 2007 address to the Indian Parliament highlighted the inseparable destinies of the Indian and Pacific Oceans and the need for democracies to cooperate.
• Japan's updated "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" strategy emphasizes resilient supply chains, critical minerals, economic security, and enhanced maritime cooperation.
• Japan is deploying long-range strike capabilities, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, and building new security networks with regional partners like Australia and the Philippines.
• The India-Japan economic security declaration aims to identify priority sectors such as semiconductors, critical minerals, and clean energy for coordinated responses.
• China's Belt and Road Initiative, its overseas military base in Djibouti, and expanding dual-use commercial facilities demonstrate its integrated approach to the two oceans.
• India formally embraced the Indo-Pacific nearly a decade ago, recognizing it as the widening arena of its strategic interests.
• The Indo-Pacific is fundamentally a structural reality of Asian politics, shaped by geography and power dynamics, rather than a shifting American narrative.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Indo-Pacific: A geopolitical concept integrating the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean into a single strategic theater.
• Strategic Autonomy: A nation's capacity to pursue its national interests and foreign policy objectives independently.
• Economic Coercion: The use of economic power, such as trade restrictions or sanctions, to compel another country to change its policies.
• Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP): Japan's vision for a rules-based international order in the region, promoting freedom of navigation, trade, and adherence to international law.