Uncertainty: The Indo-Pacific Region and American Foreign Policy

The America in the World Consortium invites students, scholars, and policy practitioners to participate in a one-day conference on issues facing the Indo-Pacific region and its role in American foreign policy and strategy which will be held at the University of Texas – Austin.

Register here.

  In the 50 years since President Nixon’s opening to China, the Indo-Pacific has become the focal point of world affairs and American foreign policy due to the region’s burgeoning political, economic, military, and cultural influence. Its member countries occupy key nodes in the networks and partnerships binding the international order together. The presence of China and India, long-standing American allies such as Australia, Japan, and Korea, and emerging states in Southeast Asia, as well as the preponderance of flashpoints and issues of mutual interest create complex considerations for American policymakers and scholars. Any formation of future American strategy and policy toward the Indo-Pacific must address an expansive array of challenges: alliances, climate, health, migration, security, trade, and more. In recognition of this, the AWC with the Clements Center for National Security is convening an interdisciplinary conference to examine the myriad issues that illustrate the significance of the Indo-Pacific region to American foreign policy. This conference seeks to examine the causes, connections, implications, and lessons that will impact the work of scholars and policymakers as America engages the Indo-Pacific in the 21st century. Keynote speaker: Michael Auslin, Payson J. Treat Distinguished Research Fellow in Contemporary Asia, Hoover Institute

Panel topics and panelists:

Security — Preparation, Cooperation, and Competition

• Chair: Rosella Cappella Zielinski, Boston University o Seamus Daniels, Center for Strategic and International Studies o Charlotte Hulme, United States Military Academy at West Point o Tommy Jamison, Naval Postgraduate School o Esther Tamara, Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia

Reflections on U.S. Foreign Policy and Indo-Pacific Security 50 Years After the Nixon-Kissinger Opening to China

• Chair: Zoltán Fehér, AWC Fellow, The University of Texas at Austin o John Bolton, Johns Hopkins University o Eun Jo, Cornell University o Shuxian Luo, Brookings Institution o Jaehan Park, Texas A&M University

Perspectives on Transpacific Economics, Trade, and Technology

• Chair: William Chou, AWC Fellow, The University of Texas at Austin o John Bowlus, Kadir Has University o Jonathan Canfield, Johns Hopkins University o James Lee, University of California at San Diego o June Park, Princeton University

America and the Indo-Pacific — Historical Lessons

• Chair: Joseph A. Ledford, AWC Fellow, The University of Texas at Austin o Jeffrey Crean, Tyler Junior College o Ashlyn Hand, AWC Fellow, Duke University o Nathaniel Moir, Harvard University o Katrina Ponti, University of Rochester

Closing Remarks: Sheena Greitens, Associate Professor, Director of Asia Policy Program, UT-Austin