Sino-US Relations in the Realm of Asian Geo-Politics

Abstract

Geopolitics has always pivotal role in US policy implementations where sometimes it enforces Monroe doctrine for exclusion of European powers from USA or the recent imagination of hegemonic design in Pacific and Asia. The US is grappling for hegemony in Western Hemisphere by not allowing dominancy of any other peer competitor in northeast Asia and Europe. In this background China with wide land mass and assertive economy is contemplated as capable to have preponderance in Asia by excluding the US primacy. The US deemed Chinese assertiveness and growing military as nightmarish especially in South China Sea and Indian Ocean. Washington is concerned about China’s anti-access/area denial, which is a prism in Washington investigation of the rise of Chinese sea power. Beijing assertiveness to control Island, water resources, to manifest power and related admonitory statements are indications that China wants its place as responsible stakeholder in international order. Hence this research is conducted to investigate main grounds leading for the US rebalancing “Pivot to Asia” policy for China containment and what are the strategies and main objectives of the policy? This piece of research has analytical approach and secondary data is used to describe the US policy of rebalancing.  In the post-cold war arena, the assertive power penetration and persistent economic growth of China has compelled the US for shifting its strategic assets from Euro Atlantic sphere and rebalancing its forces in the Indo-Pacific by amalgamating Indian and Pacific Oceans. For the US to maintain security and stability required four dimensions; to curb the aspiring regional hegemons who are acrimonious to the US interests, inhibit tussle of major powers and regional polarization, to restrain the spillover of internal political socio-economic clashes across the borders which trigger regional instability; to build up cooperative relations with others in order to tackle transnational nontraditional security challenges. As buck passing strategy, of the offensive realism which signify that regional hegemon remained sidelined and let the local powers to observe the aspiring hegemon and when the need arises then militarily invade the region in order to curb the peer competitors. Accordingly, in the guise of ‘Rebalancing Policy’ Indian role has been giving preference which is amply manifested the Indo-US Nuclear deal.

     Keywords: pivot, geopolitics, rebalancing, hegemony, containment