Opinion | The Trump administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy is overshadowed by three dilemmas

How Trump can retain the US’ role as sole superpower while withdrawing from global agreements, contain China while avoiding a new cold war, and display military power while avoiding armed conflict are challenges that will not be easily resolved

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Admiral Phil Davidson (left) relieves Admiral Harry Harris (right) as commander of US Pacific Command at Joint Base Pearl Harbour-Hickam, Hawaii, in 2018. The command was renamed the Indo-Pacific Command. Photo: US Navy via AFP

Published: 11:00pm, 29 May 2019Updated: 3:39am, 30 May 2019

According to the outline agenda of the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue – to be held from Friday to Sunday in Singapore – that was released by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, US acting secretary of defence Patrick Shanahan will deliver a major speech focusing on how to operationalise the Trump administration’s “free and open Indo-Pacific” strategy.

Over the past years, the dialogue has become a forum at which the United States spells out its security strategy in the region, from “rebalancing” towards Asia and the Pacific, as proposed by Leon Panetta and refined first by Chuck Hagel and then Ash Carter, to the Indo-Pacific strategy put forward by James Mattis.

However, based on the on-and-off trajectory of the Indo-Pacific strategy and the challenges ahead, it would be safe to say that the implementation of the strategy will be shadowed by three dilemmas.

The first lies between making America great again and withdrawal from international responsibility.

A “Baby Trump” balloon, before the start of last November’s G20 leaders summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. US President Donald Trump’s effort to reverse decades-old US policies has seriously damaged the country’s international credibility. Photo: Reuters

The US’ status as the world’s sole superpower is supported by a few pillars, among which the most important is the international order built and led by the US.

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