By Mercy A. Kuo and Angie O. Tang
How Asia could inform the foreign policy of the new administration.
The race is on as aspiring Democrat and Republican contenders begin laying the groundwork for their 2016 presidential campaigns. Without a doubt, foreign policy, specifically Asia policy, will be a paramount issue in the 2016 contest. From Ankara to Canberra, Beijing to Baku, the Asia Pacific region fuels economic dynamism and technological innovation, yet festers with security flashpoints and societal fault-lines. Asia hosts traditional and non-traditional security threats that the next administration – Democrat or Republican – must manage effectively vis-à-vis U.S. national interests. Asian policymakers, industry decision-makers, security strategists, and civil society leaders should closely watch how presidential candidates articulate Asia’s strategic relevance. The more clearly and consistently Asian leaders elucidate their views of U.S. engagement in Asia, the more it could help illuminate the next White House’s Asia policy.
U.S. presidential candidates’ positions on four key strategic drivers warrant scrutiny on the campaign trail:
Security Architecture. Will the U.S. maintain its “pivot” to Asia? In the post-911 era, security stakes are growing higher and more diffuse. Multiple, cross-border challenges – Islamic extremism, cybersecurity, territorial and maritime disputes, etc. – pose critical threats to Asia’s stability. With Asia as home to 62 percent of the world’s Muslim population, radical Islamic groups, such as Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaeda, including their respective affiliate offshoots, have found breeding grounds across Asia. North Korea’s aggressive cyberattacks and recalcitrant leadership stoke regional tensions. Disputes in the East and South China Seas over territorial sovereignty have future implications for which code of conduct will prevail over these strategic sea lanes. Effective American and Asian collaboration on these and other challenges is a constructive step toward building a regional security framework.
Read the full story at The Diplomat