The recent Australia-Japan security pact is the best example of how states are entering into partnerships to address non-traditional security issues while countering the growing assertiveness of their rival states in the region. No doubt, this security pact between Australia and Japan will intensify the ongoing geopolitical rivalry in the Indo-Pacific region as increasing security of one creates insecurity for other states in international relations which is known as the ‘security dilemma’.
Current Situation in the Indo-Pacific
The late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe originally proposed the concept of Indo-Pacific in 2007 under the banner of the “confluence of two oceans.” Geographically, the Indo-Pacific refers to the region between the Indian and Pacific Oceans that is interconnected. From a geostrategic point of view, the Indo-Pacific has been seen as a single area that spans the two oceans and is connected by the straits of Malacca, which is crucial for the transportation of energy and goods. The Indo-Pacific has become a theatre for geostrategic powerplay because of a couple of reasons. The first one is the growing influence of China in the region. And it has prompted the US to deploy its own initiatives in a bid to offset the growing influence of China there, which is the second reason.
– Muhammad Estiak Hussain is a Research Intern of the KRF Center for Bangladesh and Global Affairs (CBGA).
Published in The Geopolitics [Link]
