The Biden administration has made the Indo-Pacific a centerpiece of its foreign policy agenda, emphasizing a whole-of-government approach to engage with the region more comprehensively. The administration's strategy focuses on revitalizing core alliances, cultivating new partnerships, promoting human rights and democratic resilience, pursuing mutually beneficial economic engagement, and navigating escalating geopolitical competition with China.
Key elements include modernizing U.S. defense commitments with treaty allies Japan, South Korea, Australia, and the Philippines; elevating the Quad grouping with India, Japan, and Australia; expanding security partnerships with Vietnam, Indonesia, and other Southeast Asian countries; launching the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework to deepen economic integration; promoting public health cooperation and infrastructure investment through initiatives like Build Back Better World; speaking out against human rights abuses in Hong Kong, Xinjiang and elsewhere; and maintaining military presence and pressure on China regarding Taiwan and other flashpoints.
While this strategy faces challenges in resources, regional perceptions, and competition with China's growing influence, the administration views sustained Indo-Pacific engagement as essential for defending a free and open regional order, catalyzing global climate action and pandemic recovery, and shaping rules and norms for emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing. Execution remains a work in progress, but the strategy signals a serious effort to reinforce American leadership in the 21st century's most dynamic region.