The Shift of US Strategy towards East Asia

Abstract

This piece centres on the vital role intellectuals and think tanks play in US foreign policymaking. Before examining empirical data and original developments, a middle-level theoretical framework is needed to link our data and grand theories in International Relations and Foreign Policy Analysis. We focus on a ‘strategic core force’ troika in the US foreign policymaking system and the significant role it has played in policy transformation. It consists of three key elements—‘policy architect’, ‘expert counsellor’ and ‘policy implementer’. This paper uses a case study from the Asia-Pacific, focusing on the shift of US strategy towards Japan. The post-Cold War period saw increasing uncertainty concerning Japan’s role in US foreign policy and led to a critical examination and restructuring of East Asian policy. Although we focus on the 1990s, there are profound implications for current US policy towards East Asia. The policy shift in the 1990s laid the foundation for Obama’s 2011 ‘pivot to Asia’ strategy, especially as it relates to US security and military operations. It has become increasingly clear that Japan can provide concrete material support in the form of military and financial assistance and as such its importance for US East Asian policy cannot be overstated.