Asia-Pacific from the perspective of the United States: an agenda where commercial and security priorities coexist

• Main Author: Alfredo Crespo Alcázar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad Pontificia Comillas 2017-07-01
• Series: Comillas Journal of International Relations
• Subjects: Asia Pacífico; Seguridad y Defensa; Barack Obama; George W. Bush; Estrategia de Seguridad Nacional; terrorismo yihadista; diplomacia multilateral; instituciones internacionales; Unión Europea; China; Australia; libre comercio
• Online Access: http://revistas.upcomillas.es/index.php/internationalrelations/article/view/7934

The Barack Obama cabinets (2008-2012; 2012-2016) entailed a significant shift regarding the issues considered as priorities during the former Republican administration (2000-2008). The priority of fighting against jihadist terrorism was coupled with an approach that gave more importance to diplomacy and international institutions. We should not interpret this phenomenon as the United States giving up the development of its role as a global leader. When it comes to the regional level, the main transformation constituted the new geostrategic and geopolitical importance conferred upon the Asia-Pacific region in detriment of the European Union, for instance. This was due to a variety of factors, some of which arise from the recent past (issues related to security and defense) or the present (the economic crisis that the EU could not fight effectively). The new US agenda towards the Asia-Pacific generated reactions of different nature, since some international actors reacted cautiously (China, Russia or the European Union), each of them for different motives. Nevertheless, it was positively regarded by the traditional US allies in the region (Australia, Japan and South Korea).