By Prashanth Parameswaran
Though a new survey suggests this is the case, a closer look reveals a more complex picture.
Earlier this week, the Pew Research Center released its new global attitudes survey for spring 2015.
At first glance, the Asia component of the survey seems to suggest that though a majority of nations in the Asia-Pacific back the U.S. ‘pivot’ (or, if you prefer, rebalance) to the region, Americans are relatively less supportive of the initiative. But the devil often lies in the details with such results, and a closer look raises doubts about this interpretation.
According to the results, in six of the eight Asia-Pacific countries surveyed – Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea and Vietnam – half of or more of their publics think increased U.S. military resources in the region are a good thing. The two that did not were Indonesia and Malaysia, with the latter being the only country where a majority (54 percent) actually thought an increased U.S. military presence was a bad thing (Pakistan also did not).
This regional variation is far from surprising. Some countries within the group are staunch U.S. allies or emerging partners that see American military power as not only a stabilizing force, but as a defense against threats from other powers. Others tend to view American military power with suspicion, particularly when employed unilaterally. Indonesia and Malaysia, the two Muslim-majority states in Southeast Asia, have especially displayed a deep aversion to the use of U.S. military power in the Middle East in the “war on terror” – particularly in Iraq – as well as a strong general tendency to seek greater balance in their relationships with major powers.
Interestingly, in response to the same question, only 47 percent of Americans thought that committing their own military resources to the region was a good idea, which was below the median of 51 percent.
Read the full story at The Diplomat