Just Another Paper Tiger? Chinese Perspectives on The U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy

Chinese officials have responded to the U.S. free and open Indo-Pacific strategy through a regional counter-narrative that raises doubts about the motives and sustainability of U.S. leadership in Asia while presenting China as a partner of choice. Key issues covered in this National Studies Institute report focus is on:

• Chinese analysts perceive the Indo-Pacific strategy as a form of containment based on stronger U.S. relations with Japan, India, and Australia. They assess, if left unchecked, the strategy will reduce China’s influence and increase regional tensions.
• Chinese observers identify weak regional support as the primary constraint on U.S. strategy in Asia and advocate improving China’s own relations throughout the region.
• U.S. messaging needs to offer assurances of U.S. commitments and evidence of regional contributions, and, are regularly reinforced in regional gatherings, even when hosted by China.
• Washington needs to maintain key regional relationships yet needn’t respond in kind to every Chinese overture. That strategy may also create new opportunities to negotiate with China on certain issues from a position of strength.

U.S. intelligence community, military leadership, federal government policymakers, Members of Congress, foreign policy analysts, and general public interested in China's policy may want a copy of this publication.