INDO PACIFIC SECURITY PERSPECTIVES : NEW US PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN OPTS TO CONTINUE UNITED STATES 'HARD LINE' STRATEGIES AGAINST CHINA'S MILITARY EXPNASIONISM

Monday, April 5, 2021

NEW US PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN OPTS TO CONTINUE UNITED STATES 'HARD LINE' STRATEGIES AGAINST CHINA'S MILITARY EXPNASIONISM

United States new President Joe Biden has wisely opted to continue American 'Hard Line' strategies against China in view of China unwiling to relent from muscular militray expansionist policies not only against South China Sea victims of Chinese expansionism like Vietnam and the Philippines but also against Asia's two major Emerged Powers like India and Japan.

US President Biden by doing so has signalled to China in clear terms that with change of US Presidency, no strategic space exists for China to feel emboldened that United States will lapse into US Democratic Party Presidents propensity to be permissive on China's expansionist impulses in Indo Pacific Region.

Flowing from the above, China much chagrined by President Biden's decision to continue US 'Hard Line' strategies against China has led to enhanced levels of China's militray provocations against Japan, Chinese Air Force intrusions in Taiwan's airspace and Philippines reefs in the South China Sea being swarmed by Chinese militia vessels numbering 200.

In terms of impact of the above, Japan and India have fast-tracked the militray upgradation of their respective Armed Forces. Smaller nations of the Indo Pacific have also resorted to similar military upgradations.

Noticeably, the four QUAD Nations seem to have intensified their Joint Naval Exercises both multilaterally and bilaterally. India which was so far shying away from actively visible QUAD manifestations has now come to the fore shedding its earlier inhibitions araising from mistaken sentiments of not displeasing China.

So in April 2021 whatis clearly visible is that Asian Giants in contention with China like India and Japan have visibly signalled that they are ready to complement United States resolve under President Biden that a recalictrant China bent on shaking the foundations of a 'Rules Based Indo Pacific Order' . Invariably, if China continues in its existing challenging of Indo Pacific security then possibilities exist of a wider US-China armed conflict. In such an eventuality, no strategic space would accrue for 'Fence Sitters' in the Indo Pacific Region.

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Dr Subhash Kapila—Academic & Professional Profile

Dr Subhash Kapila is a Graduate of the Royal British Army Staff College.UK.: has a Masters in Defence Science from Madras University with his thesis on ‘India’s Foreign Policy in Far East Asia’ and a Doctorate from Allahabad University with his thesis in 1994 on ‘Asia Pacific Security-2000 AD Perspectives’.

Dr Subhash Kapila combines a rich and varied professional experience of Indian Army (Brigadier) in criteria appointments on Command, Staff and Instructional. Indian Army service encompassed long tenures on India’s borders with China and Pakistan.

Dr Subhash Kaila’s professional exposures also include diplomatic assignments in United States, Japan, South Korea and also official tenures in UK and Bhutan. These years of diplomatic and official assignments afforded deep insights on Asia Pacific security challenges and China-watching from different perches.

Dr Subhash Kapila has authored two books--- ‘China-India Military Confrontation:21^st Century Perspectives’ (2015) and an earlier one on India’s Defence Policies & Strategic Thought-A Comparative Analysis’ (2004)

Dr Subhash Kapila has authored over nearly 2000 Papers on Geopolitical, Foreign Policy and Strategic topics of Major Powers like USA, China, Japan and regional issues of South Asia, South East Asia and the Middle East.

Dr Subhash Kapila has presented Papers at international forums in Russia, Japan, Turkey and Vietnam and National and University Seminars in India.

Invited for TV/Radio discussions by CNN, BBC, Pakistan Geo TV and multiple Indian Channels.

INDO PACIFIC REGION—GEOPOLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE

“Indo Pacific Region encompassing the vast geographical expanse from West Coast of the United States to the Eastern Littoral of Africa on the Indian Ocean and Australia in South Pacific has emerged in recent years as a fulcrum of global security and stability.

Competing security narratives led by the United States and a reactive hardly credible narrative by China challenges foreign policy and security policies directions of Major Powers in the Indo Pacific comprising United States. India, Japan and Australia.

Needless to highlight as so many academic treatises have already done so that Indo Pacific Security Template as a strategic construct and narrative emerged so as a narrative in the last decade generated by fears of China’s not so benign intentions manifested from Himalayan Heights of China Occupied Tibet borders with India to the Western Pacific seas, and more pointedly to the South China Sea where China has indulged in military aggression ad coercive brinkmanship to establish “Full Spectrum Dominance” endangering Indo Pacific Security as a whole.”------------Dr Subhash Kaila’s earlier writings.

“The Indo Pacific has assumed tectonic significance for a wide range of nations affirming their agency in an uncertain world. Far from being an obscure account of of words and maps, the narratives of Indo Pacific nations hands a great dilemma of the 21^st Century: how can other countries respond to a strong and coercive China without resorting to capitulation or conflict.” –Professor Rory Metcalf, Australian National University.

“In this century, the Asia Pacific and the Indian Ocean Rim which some refer as the Indo Pacific will become the world’s centre of gravity.”---Australian Defence Minister