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The United States and the Asia-Pacific Region: National Interests and Strategic Imperatives by James J

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The United States and the Asia-Pacific Region: National Interests and Strategic Imperatives by James J No. 239 Strategic Forum April 2009 Institute for National Strategic Studies National Defense University http://www.ndu.edu/inss The United States and the Asia-Pacific Region: National Interests and Strategic Imperatives by James J. Przystup In addition, the growing number of Asian- Key Points Benefiting from unhampered access, Americans has reinforced the long history of U.S. trade with East Asia rapidly expanded, cultural interaction across the Pacific, marked with China in particular defined as the “mar- Notwithstanding the 2008–2009 financial by art, architecture, literature, music, and ket of the future.” But in the last decade of crisis, East Asia today remains the home of the today, manga. the 19th century, China’s internal weakness, world’s most dynamic economies. In 1990, the The totality of these commercial, cultural, combined with the activities of the imperial- region’s share of global gross domestic prod- and security ties reflects the enduring nature of ist powers, threatened to segment the China uct (GDP) amounted to 26.5 percent; in 2006, U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific and argues for that figure stood at 37.5 percent. In 2006, the an active American role in shaping the future market into exclusive spheres of influence. GDP growth rate for Asia’s economies aver- of this region. Key to this engagement is a clear The U.S. response, in the form of Secretary aged 5.1 percent, compared to a world average understanding of U.S. interests in Asia and the of State John Hay’s Open Door Notes, defined of 3.9 percent. strategic imperatives that will confront the U.S. interests in China as unimpeded access Driven in large part by China’s economic Obama administration’s policymakers. to its markets and, later, support for China’s resurgence and benefiting from an open inter- territorial integrity as the means of assuring national trading system, Asia has become an U.S. Interests that access. Hay’s definition reflected historic engine of global economic growth. American interests in the larger East Asia Meanwhile, U.S. trade with the region From its earliest days, the United States region dating to the Empress of China and grew from $300 billion in 1991 to $900 billion in has been engaged in trade with East Asia. the opening of Japan. 2006, much of it in higher value-added manu- In February 1784, the Empress of China Taking into consideration the nearly 225- factured goods and services.1 In all likelihood, left New York harbor, sailing east to China, year history of U.S. engagement with East Asia, restructured and revived economies in Asia and arriving at Macau on the China coast in this essay defines U.S. interests as the following: the United States will lead the world out of the August of that year. The ship returned to the current global recession. United States the following May with a con- ■ Defense of the homeland and U.S. ter- In addition to its longstanding com- signment of Chinese goods, which generated ritories and protection of U.S. citizens. Today, mercial links to the region, the United States a profit of $30,000. In 1844, China granted U.S. forces are engaged across the Asia-Pacific maintains treaty alliance relationships with the United States trading rights in the Treaty region dealing with terrorist threats to the Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, the of Wanghia. United States and its citizens. Philippines, and Thailand. For over a half The U.S. interest in trade with Asia and ■ Access to regional markets. The century, this bilateral alliance structure the protection of American merchantmen United States has supported efforts in the has formed the region’s informal security architecture. The alliances remain of critical took Commodore Matthew C. Perry to Japan. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) importance in addressing the hard security The Treaty of Kanagawa of 1854 granted forum to open and secure market access and challenges of the East Asia region and provide access to the markets of Japan, opening the has promoted efforts to expand trade by cre- a firm foundation for multilateral efforts to ad- ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to trade with ating an Asia-Pacific Free Trade Area and by dress the nontraditional security issues there. the United States, and provided for the protec- signing free trade agreements with Australia, tion of shipwrecked American sailors. Singapore, and South Korea. No. 239, April 2009 Strategic Forum 1 ■ Freedom of the seas to assure access. ensuring access to and equality of commer- region have come to see the United States as The U.S. Navy, operating from the West Coast, cial opportunity in the China market. preoccupied with the global war on terror and Hawaii, and bases in Japan and through ■ Theodore Roosevelt worked to balance having a regional tunnel vision focus on Iraq, access agreements with Singapore and other Imperial Russia’s efforts to develop an exclu- Afghanistan, Iran, and the greater Middle Southeast Asian countries, is positioned to sive sphere of influence in northern China by East. The failure of President George W. Bush assure freedom of the seas. aligning the United States with Japan during and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to ■ Maintenance of a balance of power the Russo-Japanese War. attend various regional meetings has been to prevent the rise of any hegemon or group ■ At the Washington Conference of viewed as a barometer of U.S. interest in the of powers that would impede U.S. political 1920, the United States supported multilat- region—and often contrasted with the atten- and economic access to the region. The sys- eral efforts to preserve the postwar status quo tion paid by China’s leadership. tem of bilateral U.S. alliances with Japan, in the Asia-Pacific region and to ensure the Not only will the Obama administra- the Republic of Korea (ROK), Australia, the territorial integrity of China through great tion have to reassert active leadership and Philippines, and Thailand maintains a stable power cooperation. engagement, but it also will have to reaffirm balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region. ■ Following World War II and through- U.S. commitment to the region and articu- ■ Preventing the proliferation of weapons out the Cold War, the United States relied on a late a vision toward which policies will be of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic mis- series of bilateral alliances with Japan, the ROK, ordered. In doing so, the new administra- sile delivery systems. The United States, along Australia, the Philippines, and Thailand to tion would do well to internalize the vision secure its interests in the Asia-Pacific region. set out by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates the ability of the United in his remarks to the Shangri-La Dialogue States to protect and Strategic Imperatives in Singapore on May 31, 2008. He defined the United States as “a Pacific nation with advance its interests Based on an understanding of U.S. inter- an enduring role in East Asia,” one standing will depend significantly ests in the region, the Obama administra- “for openness and against exclusivity” and on the reassertion of tion will have to address a number of strategic committed to “mutual prosperity.” Noting imperatives that should guide the evolution of that American territory in the Pacific Ocean active leadership and policy. These imperatives include developing a extended from the Aleutian Islands to Guam, engagement from statement of purpose and vision for the region Secretary Gates characterized the United the new administration that reaffirms U.S. commitment and lead- States as a “resident power” in the region. in Washington ership; strengthening alliances; supporting Since the time of the Open Door Notes, the peaceful resolution of disputes; integrat- the United States has championed an open ing rising powers in ways compatible with U.S. international trading order. This practice with China, the ROK, Japan, Russia, and interests; preventing WMD proliferation; and has advanced living standards in the United North Korea, is engaged in the Six-Party Talks participating in the region’s multilateral eco- States and across the globe. At a time when aimed at the denuclearization of North Korea. nomic, political, and security structures and answers to the current financial and eco- At the same time, the Proliferation Security addressing nontraditional security threats. nomic crisis are not fully understood and Initiative (PSI) enjoys broad support across Developing a Statement of remain open to debate, U.S. policy should the region. Purpose. Looking ahead to the com- aim to avoid what history has demonstrated ■ The promotion of democracy and ing decade, the ability of the United States to does not work. To retreat to the protectionism human rights. For successive U.S. admin- protect and advance its interests will depend and beggar-thy-neighbor policies of the 1930s istrations, this has been an enduring ele- significantly on the reassertion of active would be to repeat a mistake of historic pro- ment in policy, with notable successes in the leadership and engagement from the new portion, forfeit U.S. international leadership, Philippines, the ROK, and Taiwan. administration in Washington. Secretary of and put at risk recovery of the global econ- State Hillary Clinton’s February 2009 visit to omy, with unknown consequences for stabil- Over the course of its relations with Japan, Indonesia, the ROK, and China, fol- ity and security in the Asia-Pacific region. East Asia, the United States has adopted lowed by the visit of Japan’s Prime Minister Strengthening Alliances. multiple approaches to protecting and Taro Aso to Washington, DC, stands as an The United States bilateral alliance structure advancing its interests: early indicator of the Obama administration’s remains the foundation of regional stability intent to assert active leadership and engage- and prosperity and the starting point for U.S.
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