6 - America's Role in Asia

Summary

The United States has a vital, enduring and growing interest in Asia. Although America's Asian allies had expressed fears and concerns of an American withdrawal from the region after the end of the Cold War in the 1990s, by virtue of history, geography, cultural ties, and economic imperatives, the fate of the United States seems to be inescapably bound up with Asia. Asia is a region of formidable security challenges. Military spending in Asia surpasses that of Europe, historical grievances and mutual distrust loom large, territorial disputes dot the landscape, nuclear proliferation is a major threat, and there are few mediating regional institutions. September 11 has only served to underline that the United States cannot afford to ignore this region.

The United States and South Asia

The United States has several key interests in South Asia and its war on terror is far from over. It seems unlikely that the United States can withdraw its forces from Afghanistan or give up the use of bases in Pakistan in the near future, as the task of curbing Islamic extremism is nowhere near complete. To further strengthen its position in the region, the United States has taken necessary steps to go that extra mile to develop a strong strategic and economic partnership with India. Though Pakistan is still a valuable ally, Indo-U.S. relations have been “de-hyphenated” from the U.S. relationship with Pakistan. Each is to be pursued independent of the other.

Indo-U.S. relations have witnessed a qualitative change in recent years. Since the end of the Cold War, and more especially after September 11, a realistic appraisal of India's strategic potential has led to serious re-evaluation in the United States of its relationship with India. For India too, the end of the Cold War and the disappearance of the Soviet Union from the global strategic framework created the necessity to engage with the West, the United States in particular, in a more effective manner.