United States Strategic Appraisal for Asia-Pacific
This paper will formulate a regional strategic appraisal for the United States in the Asia-Pacific region. The first part of the paper will examine the U.S. interests in this region, briefly describing the vital and important interests which must drive U.S. regional strategy. The second part of the paper will discuss current U.S. policy in the Asia-Pacific as it relates to the stated interests. The third part of the paper will propose a regional strategy designed to best further these interests.
U.S. Interests in the Asia-Pacific Region
There are three vital United States interests in the Asia-Pacific region: (1) open access to economic markets; (2) a region free from domination by a single power or power bloc; and (3) governments dedicated to preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The first interest is vital because the Asia-Pacific region has the potential for becoming the largest single market for American goods and services and because China and Japan will soon have economies larger than any other countries, save the United States. This first vital interest leads directly to the second, for the rise of a power able to dominate such large economic market could economically attack the U.S. Finally, the U.S. must seek to curb the proliferation of WMDs in a region which is so economically vital to the United States.
Regional interests which are important to the United States, but not vital, include high environmental/health standards and countries and governments in the region which share political and cultural norms with the U.S. The importance of environmental/health standards in the Asia-Pacific region stem from the severe pressures being placed upon natural resources by overpopulation and the increasing threat of global disease pandemics.
No peripheral interests could be idenitified for the Asia-pacific region.
Factors Affecting U.S. I...