The fatal flaw in US Indo-Pacific strategy

A container ship is loaded and unloaded at a container terminal at a port of Kawasaki near Tokyo on March 9, 2022. Japan marked a trade deficit for the 15th month in a row in October, government data showed Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022, as both imports and exports reached record highs amid soaring costs of energy and food, coming on top of the drooping value of the yen. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

The fatal flaw in US Indo-Pacific strategy | The Hill

BY ROBERT A. MANNING, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR – 01/04/23 8:00 AM ET

The law of unintended consequences is undermining U.S. strategy for the Indo-Pacific, as trade ties between U.S. allies and partners in Asia with China are growing despite U.S. admonitions against dependence on China. 

Recent data show that China’s trade with all 10 ASEAN nations rose 71 percent last year and grew 49 percent with India. In fact, despite sanctions and tariffs, China’s trade with the U.S. grew to $657 billion in 2021, a 28 percent increase over 2020, and was projected to increase in 2022.

Robert A. Manning is a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center. He served as senior counselor to the Undersecretary of State for global affairs, as a member of the U.S. secretary of state’s policy planning staff, and and on the National Intelligence Council Strategic Futures Group. Follow him on Twitter @Rmanning4.

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