Analysing%20Trump%27s%20declassification%20of%20a%20secret%20strategic%20document%20on%20Indo-Pacific

On%20January%2012%2C%20just%20eight%20days%20before%20it%20was%20to%20finish%20its%20term%2C%20the%20Trump%20Administration%20declassified%20an%20important%20national%20security%20document%2C%20the%20%27United%20States%20Strategic%20framework%20for%20the%20Indo-Pacific%27.%20For%20the%20last%20three%20years%2C%20this%20security%20document%20provided%20the%20guiding%20principles%20for%20US%20policy%20in%20this%20strategically%20vital%20region%2C%20spanning%20from%20the%20west%20coast%20of%20the%20United%20States%20to%20the%20west%20coast%20of%20India.%20It%20outlines%20the%20strategy%20to%20counter%20Beijing%u2019s%20increasing%20influence%20in%20the%20Indo-Pacific%20and%20plans%20to%20deal%20with%20North%20Korea%2C%20as%20well%20as%20the%20importance%20of%20strengthening%20India%20as%20a%20military%20counterbalance%20to%20China.%20%26nbsp%3B

The%20strategy%20document%20was%20drawn%20up%20by%20the%20US%20National%20Security%20Council%20%28NSC%29%20in%202017%20and%20approved%20by%20President%20Donald%20Trump%20in%20early%202018.%20It%20was%20classified%20as%20secret%20and%20was%20not%20was%20not%20intended%20to%20be%20publicly%20released%20in%20any%20form%20before%20December%2031%2C%202042.%20However%2C%20the%20document%20was%20made%20public%20online%20on%20January%2012.%20%26nbsp%3B

The%20contents%20of%20the%20document%20are%20in%20line%20with%20the%20policies%2C%20which%20the%20Trump%20Administration%20has%20followed.%20However%2C%20the%20declassification%20of%20the%20document%20so%20much%20ahead%20of%20schedule%20has%20no%20doubt%20come%20as%20a%20surprise%20development.

Some%20analysts%20are%20of%20the%20view%20that%20the%20document%27s%20declassification%20was%20meant%20to%20divert%20attention%20away%20from%20the%20events%20relating%20to%20the%20attack%20on%20the%20US%20Capitol%20on%20January%206%2C%20but%20this%20does%20not%20seem%20to%20be%20correct%20because%20the%20document%20was%20cleared%20for%20publication%20on%20January%205%20before%20the%20attack%20on%20the%20Capitol%20took%20place.

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The%20White%20House%20said%20that%20the%20aim%20to%20release%20it%20is%20to%20%22communicate%20to%20the%20American%20people%20and%20to%20our%20allies%20and%20partners%22%20Washington%27s%20%22enduring%20commitment%22%20to%20keeping%20the%20%22Indo-Pacific%20region%20free%20and%20open%20long%20into%20the%20future.%20The%20declassification%20of%20the%20security%20document%20has%20perhaps%20been%20done%20because%20of%20concerns%20that%20a%20Biden%20administration%20may%20not%20be%20so%20committed%20towards%20challenging%20China%u2019s%20bid%20for%20dominance.%20Put%20simply%2C%20the%20de-classification%20is%20an%20attempt%20at%20ensuring%20policy%20continuity%20in%20regard%20to%20China%20and%20the%20Indo-Pacific.%20%26nbsp%3B

The%20declassified%20document%20sees%20India%20as%20a%20%22net%20provider%20of%20security%22%20and%20stresses%20the%20need%20to%20%22solidify%20an%20enduring%20strategic%20partnership%20with%20India%22%2C%20which%20is%20%22underpinned%20by%20a%20strong%20Indian%20military%20able%20to%20effectively%20collaborate%20with%20the%20US.%22%20It%20calls%20for%20offering%20%22support%20to%20India–through%20diplomatic%2C%20military%2C%20and%20intelligence%20channels–to%20help%20address%20continental%20challenges%20such%20as%20the%20border%20dispute%20with%20China%20and%20access%20to%20water%2C%20including%20the%20Brahmaputra%20and%20other%20rivers%20facing%20diversion%20by%20China.%22%20%26nbsp%3B

The%20document%20calls%20for%20%22countering%20Chinese%20predatory%20economic%20practices%20that%20freeze%20out%20foreign%20competition%22%20and%20working%20closely%20with%20%22allies%20and%20like-minded%20countries%20to%20prevent%20Chinese%20acquisition%20of%20military%20and%20strategic%20capabilities%22.%20Significantly%2C%20it%20advocates%20building%20a%20stronger%20foundation%20for%20defense%20cooperation%20between%20India%20and%20the%20US%20with%20a%20focus%20on%20the%20expansion%20of%20defense%20trade%20and%20lays%20emphasis%20on%20increasing%20Indo-US%20cooperation%20on%20shared%20regional%20security%20concerns.

The%20document%20also%20has%20in%20mind%20the%20need%20for%20a%20counterpoise%20to%20China%27s%20Belt%20and%20Road%20Initiative%20%28BRI%29%2C%20which%20claims%20to%20be%20expanding%20connectivity%20in%20south%20Asia%20and%20the%20wider%20region%20while%20in%20reality%20leaving%20behind%20a%20trail%20of%20debt%20in%20the%20partner%20countries%20like%20Pakistan.%20Therefore%2C%20it%20analyses%20the%20issue%20of%20working%20with%20India%20and%20Japan%20to%20help%20finance%20projects%20that%20would%20enhance%20regional%20connectivity.

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It%20may%20be%20recalled%20that%20President%20Carter%20had%20visited%20India%20in%20January%201978%2C%20after%20which%20no%20US%20Presidential%20visit%20took%20place%20during%20the%20next%20twenty-two%20years.%20Then%20Clinton%20visited%20in%202000%2C%20Bush%20in%202006%2C%20Obama%20in%202010%20and%20again%20in%202015%2C%20and%20Trump%20in%202020.%20Thus%2C%20India%20and%20the%20US%20had%20no%20doubt%20been%20coming%20closer%20during%20the%20last%20two%20decades.%20However%2C%20it%20was%20only%20under%20the%20Trump%20administration%20that%20there%20was%20so%20much%20focus%20on%20the%20Indo%20Pacific%20as%20part%20of%20a%20strategy.%20%26nbsp%3BIndeed%2C%20one%20of%20this%20strategy%u2019s%20manifestations%20was%20the%20increased%20emphasis%20by%20the%20Trump%20Administration%20on%20the%20Quadrilateral%20security%20dialogue%20with%20India%2C%20Japan%20and%20Australia.%20%26nbsp%3B

It%20may%20be%20noted%20that%20Prime%20Mister%20Abe%20had%20proposed%20the%20idea%20of%20the%20Quad%20in%202007%20as%20an%20informal%20dialogue%20involving%20also%20the%20US%2C%20India%20and%20Australia.%20It%20was%20also%20decided%20at%20that%20time%20that%20Quad%20members%20would%20take%20part%20in%20the%20%27Malabar%20naval%20exercise%27%20which%20had%20been%20held%20earlier%20between%20India%20and%20the%20US.%20The%20Chinese%20government%20had%20viewed%20this%20development%20as%20a%20response%20to%20its%20own%20increasing%20economic%20and%20military%20power%2C%20and%20responded%20by%20issuing%20formal%20diplomatic%20protests%20to%20all%20the%20Quad%20members.%20The%20joint%20naval%20exercise%20between%20the%20Quad%20and%20Singapore%20in%20September%202007%20also%20drew%20protests%20from%20China%2C%20after%20which%20Australia%20withdrew%20from%20it.%20For%20all%20practical%20purposes%2C%20the%20Quad%20fell%20into%20limbo.

However%2C%20in%202017%20%28the%20year%20that%20the%20now%20declassified%20security%20document%20was%20drafted%29%2C%20all%20four%20former%20member%20countries%20re-started%20negotiations%20to%20revive%20Quad%20amidst%20tensions%20caused%20primarily%20by%20China%27s%20territorial%20ambitions.%20The%20Quad%20met%20five%20times%20in%202017%u20132019%20but%20only%20at%20the%20official%20level.%20In%20a%20significant%20development%2C%20the%20dialogue%20was%20upgraded%20with%20the%20first%20meeting%20of%20Quad%20foreign%20ministers%20taking%20place%20on%20the%20sidelines%20of%20the%20UNGA%20on%20September%2026%2C%202019%20and%20the%20second%20one%20in%20Tokyo%20almost%20a%20year%20later%20on%20October%206%2C%202020.%20The%20underlying%20impetus%20for%20these%20meetings%20was%20the%20need%20to%20contain%20China–exactly%20the%20theme%20of%20the%20declassified%20security%20document.

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Setting%20the%20tone%20for%20the%20US-China%20ties%20for%20the%20next%20four%20years%2C%20Biden%20had%20already%20made%20it%20quite%20clear%20that%20Washington%20needs%20to%20build%20a%20coalition%20of%20like-minded%20nations%20to%20confront%20China.%20For%20example%2C%20following%20his%20briefing%20with%20national%20security%20and%20foreign%20policy%20agency%20review%20team%20members%20on%20December%2028%2C%20he%20had%20said%20%3A%22As%20we%20compete%20with%20China%20to%20hold%20China%27s%20government%20accountable%20for%20its%20trade%20abuses%2C%20technology%2C%20human%20rights%20and%20other%20fronts%2C%20our%20position%20would%20be%20much%20stronger%20when%20we%20build%20coalitions%20of%20like-minded%20partners%20and%20allies%20that%20make%20common%20cause%20with%20us%20in%20defence%20of%20our%20shared%20interests%20and%20our%20shared%20values.%22%20%26nbsp%3B

One%20immediate%20result%20of%20the%20Trump%20Administration%27s%20declassification%20of%20the%20document%20on%20the%20strategic%20framework%20for%20the%20Indo-Pacific%20on%20January%2012%20was%20that%20the%20very%20next%20day%2C%20Biden%20appointed%20a%20top%20American%20diplomat%20Kurt%20M.%20Campbell%20as%20the%20%u2018Indo-Pacific%20Coordinator%u2019%20within%20the%20National%20Security%20Council.%20Previously%2C%20Campbell%20served%20in%20several%20capacities%20in%20government%2C%20including%20as%20Deputy%20Assistant%20Secretary%20of%20for%20Asia%20and%20the%20Pacific.%20The%20appointment%20is%20aimed%20at%20focusing%20on%20the%20problems%20and%20challenges%20emerging%20from%20China%27s%20policies%2C%20thus%20further%20attempting%20to%20put%20to%20rest%20doubts%20about%20the%20policy%20which%20Biden%20intends%20to%20follow.%26nbsp%3B

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