An Analysis Of The Evolution Of U.S. Indian Ocean Policy

The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean in the world,which has a prominent strategic position.The political,economic,and cultural diversity in the region and the deep interaction among the forces inside and outside the region have created unique geography of the Indian Ocean region,leading the analysis of the history of the Indian Ocean policy of major powers to be a meaningful issue.The United States began exploiting the ocean and developed the ocean economy since its beginning.The evolution of the US policy in the Indian Ocean is an important part of the history of the US ocean hegemony.The geographical and geoenvironmental characteristics of the Indian Ocean are the starting points and necessary foundations for the study of the Indian Ocean.From a geographical point of view,the relatively closed geographical structure in the northern part of the Indian Ocean,the pivotal attribute of communication between the East and the West,and the intensive resources are unique endowments of the Indian Ocean,making the Indian Ocean a strategic space where opportunities and challenges coexist since ancient times.From the perspective of geography,the fragmentation of the geography and the deep interaction and interweaving of national interests within and outside the region have shaped the history and status of the Indian Ocean.Specific to the Indian Ocean policy of the United States,neither the US policy in the Indian Ocean in early times nor the excessive importance of the Indian Ocean in its strategic system after the Cold War should be overstated.An objective analysis of the evolution of the American Indian Ocean policy is what this article deserves.The US Indian Ocean policy develops with internal and external factors.Its policy evolution can be roughly divided into four stages:First,getting involved at the initial stage.This stage,from the beginning of the founding of the United States in 1783 to the end of World War II,witnessed the history of the United States growing from a weak and nascent country to an important maritime power in the world.The early US involvement in the Indian Ocean was based on several considerations.First,the Indian Ocean is an important route from the United States to the East,and it has played a role in ensuring the freedom of navigation of the United States between the two oceans.Second,the Indian Ocean is a region where old-style colonialist contradictions are relatively moderate,which helps the United States avoid conflicts with other powerful nations.Third,the Indian Ocean countries and regions have rich economic resources and broad markets.By the late 18 th century,the United States had established relatively sound commercial and diplomatic relations in the core subregions and hubs of the Indian Ocean.Since then,with the determination and development of Mahan’s sea power strategy and the smooth flow of the Cape Horn route from the United States to the Pacific,the United States ’ marine strategy has increasingly expanded around the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.In addition,the British influence and dominance in the Indian Ocean has been strengthened.The Indian Ocean has gradually become A "blank" in US ocean strategy.Second,the strategic embryonic stage refers to US policy in the Indian Ocean during World War II.After the Pearl Harbor incident,the United States entered the war and became the backbone of the anti-fascist war.The core area of interest of the United States during World War II was around the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean was not considered as an independent strategic region.The eastern Indian Ocean and Pacific border areas were included in the framework of the Pacific battlefield.The Gulf was included in the strategic considerations of the Atlantic battlefield.However,World War II brought the Indian Ocean strategically into the American view and became an opportunity for it to become increasingly prominent in the US marine strategy in the future.During the Second World War,the United States more deeply recognized the importance of the Indian Ocean,and basically defined its role as a transportation hub,a treasure trove of resources,and a geopolitical frontier.The important role of the Indian Ocean for the Soviet Union was also fully recognized.In addition,the indivisibility of the strategic deployment of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific was reflected in the strategic considerations of the United States during World War II.Although the Indian Ocean was strategically a "subordinate" to the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans during World War II,in terms of the value of the region itself,it also played a significant role in World War II.The Indian Ocean is the main channel for China to obtain strategic materials,an important area for strategic cooperation among allies,and a key area for fascists to compete for.Although it is not enough to compare with the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans,the Indian Ocean occupied a place in World War II The facts cannot be denied.The establishment of US military bases in wartime also provided an opportunity for the extensive establishment of the US military base system after the end of World War II.During World War II,for the United States,the Indian Ocean was the main link between the Soviet Union and the Soviet Union.During the Cold War,the Indian Ocean became a key to contain the Soviet Union and cut off its estuaries.After the Second World War,the United States conducted a preliminary strategic layout in the core area of the Indian Ocean.It is no accident that the Persian Gulf,India,and Australia have also become the core areas of the American Indian Ocean’s strategy during the Cold War.Third,the Cold War period with the keyword of “hegemony”.After the Second World War,the United States began to gradually consider the Indian Ocean as an independent strategic region.The containment strategy lifted the veil of the Cold War.In the Cold War,the Indian Ocean served as a gathering place for newly independent states and a frontier region vulnerable to "communism." The ideal region for the Asia-Pacific military force projection has played an important role.The deployment of the United States in the Indian Ocean during the Cold War was based on two major aspects: the military base system and the alliance system.Through the establishment and improvement of the Indian Ocean maritime military base with Diego Garcia as the core,and the improvement of the alliance system based on trilateral and multilateral mechanisms,the United States basically completed the strategic siege circle against the Soviet Union and gained control of the Indian Ocean.Although the United States objectively understands the importance of the Indian Ocean and Indian Ocean policy planning,it generally provides a prerequisite for the formal emergence of the "Indo-Pacific" as a geopolitical concept and the further improvement of the status of the Indian Ocean after the Cold War.Fourth,the pluralistic escalation period with “maintaining hegemony” as the core.After the end of the Cold War,the geopolitical and geoeconomic significance of the Indian Ocean region has become increasingly prominent.With the disintegration of the bipolar structure,the world is developing towards political multi-polarization and economic globalization,which has led to the trend of multi-polarization of strategic games in the Indian Ocean region.At the same time,the important geological significance of the Indian Ocean and the complex internal and external environment have made non-traditional security issues a key issue in Indian Ocean security governance and the focus of the attention of major actors.In this context,the Indian Ocean has gradually emerged as a single region in the United States’ global strategic documents,and its role as a strategic frontier region has gradually been determined.After the bankruptcy of the "imperial" rule of the United States on the Indian Ocean coast,the United States gradually moved from an imperial rule to a cooperative law that relied on allies and partners to assume international responsibility and share risks and costs.In the Indian Ocean layout after the US Cold War,military bases have benefited both in terms of hardware and overall layout.The scale of US military deployment in the Indian Ocean has also expanded,and its targeting has been greatly enhanced.In the alliance partner system,India,as a large country in the Indian Ocean,is increasingly playing an important role in the global strategy of the United States.The "quasi-alliance" mechanism on the four sides of the United States,Japan,India,and Australia has gradually developed.From the above,the evolutionary motivation of the United States is the result of the expansion of national identity and the expansion of national interests from the internal cause.While from the external cause,it cannot be separated from the promotion of the structure and power structure evolution.As for the trend of US Indian Ocean policy evolution,the compounding of Indian Ocean policy considerations and the diversification of Indian Ocean’s strategic layout means throughout the whole process.In short,in the history of more than two centuries,the main theme of American Indian Ocean policy is based on the corresponding international and domestic situation as well as national interests.Although the US Indian Ocean policy often be described as "broken".It is not until today that a relatively complete top-level design has gradually been formed.However,in each period,it is basically good enough to assess the situation and contribute to the overall US strategy.Today,the geopolitical concept of "Indo-Pacific" is flourishing.Analyzing the history of the development of American Indian Ocean policy,on the one hand,helps us understand the deep historical origins of the development of the geo-concept of"Indo-Pacific",on the other hand,provides useful experience for China to build a maritime power,develop the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road" initiative,and building a "community of human destiny”.