Research On ASEAN's Cognition And Response To The US Indo-Pacific Strateg

As we enter the 21 st century,there is no more significant change in the world power landscape than the rise of China and the intensification of Sino-U.S.competition.During Trump’s tenure,the strategic competition between China and the U.S.has reached a climax,with the U.S.attempting to suppress China’s strategic space on all fronts and contain the momentum of China’s rise.In the security field,the U.S.launched the “Indo-Pacific Strategy” to counterbalance China.Since the launch of the Indo-Pacific Strategy,the importance of ASEAN has been constantly mentioned.ASEAN is located in the center of the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean,and its geopolitical position is unique,which has an important influence on the implementation of the strategy;some ASEAN members are disputing parties in the South China Sea and are also key countries along China’s “Belt and Road”.Therefore,both during the Trump administration and since the Biden administration came to power,they have been committed to focusing on drawing in and influencing ASEAN.ASEAN’s perception of the U.S.Indo-Pacific Strategy is influenced by various factors,including ASEAN’s regional role,the regional strategic situation,and ASEAN’s relationship with China and the United States.On the one hand,ASEAN fears that the advancement of the “Indo-Pacific Strategy” will intensify the strategic competition between China and the United States,thus causing the deterioration of ASEAN’s regional environment and the risk of ASEAN being marginalized;on the other hand,ASEAN also hopes to take advantage of the economic cooperation opportunities covered by the “Indo-Pacific Strategy” to promote own development and enhance own international influence.As Southeast Asia is the arena of power competition between China and the U.S.,ASEAN countries are the key targets of China and the U.S.Under the state of hostile and fierce confrontation between China and the U.S.,ASEAN is unable to regulate this confrontation.Although ASEAN has issued the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific as a response to the U.S.Indo-Pacific Strategy and declared its own development plan for the Indo-Pacific region,the progress of the implementation of the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Vision is quite thunderous.In the face of the normalization of strategic competition between China and the United States in the Indo-Pacific region,how will ASEAN adjust its development direction to adapt to the changes in the regional environment?This paper explores a new attempt by ASEAN to maintain its position as the center of cooperation in East Asia,in the face of increasingly fierce competition among major powers and the inability of ASEAN’s traditional diplomatic methods to play a significant role,by studying ASEAN’s understanding and response to the U.S.Indo-Pacific Strategy.