

A Strategy for the Trans-Pacific Century: Final Report of the Atlantic Council’s Asia-Pacific Strategy Task Force

A conversation with:

The Hon. Paula Dobriansky

Senior Fellow

The Future of Diplomacy Project, Harvard University

H.E. Ashok Kumar Mirpuri

Ambassador

Republic of Singapore

Dr. Matthew Kroenig

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security

Atlantic Council

Dr. Miyeon Oh

Senior Fellow, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security

Atlantic Council

Introduced and Moderated by:

Mr. Barry Pavel

Senior Vice President, Arnold Kanter Chair, and Director, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security

Atlantic Council

The days when Atlantic policymakers and strategists could ignore major developments in Asia, and vice-versa, are long gone. North America, Europe, and Asia are intertwined by growing economic, military, political, technological, and people-to-people ties. Moreover, US allies and partners in Asia and Europe are facing similar challenges that range from changing power configurations, gray-zone revisions to contested borders, and increased risks of interstate conflict, to new threats from disruptive technologies, nuclear proliferation, nationalism and extremism, and issues of food, water, and energy security. Policymakers in these regions share a strong interest in adapting, revitalizing, and defending a rules-based international order, and they will be most effective at reaching solutions if they can bring their combined geopolitical weight to bear. The Asia-Pacific Strategy Task Force’s report draws on a unique blend of European, Asian, and American perspectives to foster improved Trans-Atlantic-Pacific partnerships in discussing not just the future of the region, but the future of the world.

This Strategy Paper does not present a Washington-centric strategy for the region; rather, it is an Asia-Pacific strategy that emphasizes the critical contributions and roles of close regional allies while recommending a hard-headed engagement approach with China. It also emphasizes the importance of tri-continental consultations among the United States, Europe, and Asia on major global issues such as China’s growing power.

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