The renaming of the US Indo-Pacific Command as the US Pacific Command reflects a shift in Washington’s strategic priorities and indicates that India may no longer hold a central position in US grand strategy in the region, said experts at a discussion organized by the Consortium for Asia-Pacific and Eurasian Studies (CAPES).
Renaming of US Pacific Command reflects shift in strategic priorities: Speakers
ISLAMABAD, Aug 27 (APP):The renaming of the US Indo-Pacific Command as the US Pacific Command reflects a shift in Washington’s strategic priorities and indicates that India may no longer hold a central position in US grand strategy in the region, said experts at a discussion organized by the Consortium for Asia-Pacific and Eurasian Studies (CAPES).
The discussion, titled “From Indo-Pacific Back to Asia-Pacific: Rethinking India’s Place in US Grand Strategy,” was held at the CAPES office here, said a press release issued on Thursday.
The discussion brought together academics and students from Pakistan and Indonesia.
With the change in nomenclature from US Indo-Pacific Command to US Pacific Command, India no longer occupies a central position in US Grand Strategy, said Dr. Saira Aquil, Vice President of CAPES and Assistant Professor in the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, Quaid-e-Azam University.
She stated that changing the name of the US Command is more than symbolism. It reflects the changing strategic priorities of the US. Changing the name to Indo-Pacific back in 2018 signaled to China that India occupied a central position in US Grand Strategy, as a counterweight to China. But the reversal of this change signifies that the US no longer considers India a central pillar of its Asia-Pacific strategy.
She highlighted the fact that this change occurred because India pursued its own self-interest, which raised concerns in Washington about India’s reliability as a partner in the region.
She remarked that the US renaming the Pacific Command was coupled with its moving strategic assets out of the region.
This indicates that US policymakers have reprioritized their strategic interests, shifting their focus to the Middle East and the Western Hemisphere.
Dr. Aquil also shed light on opportunities for Pakistan in this scenario. She highlighted that Pakistan’s position in the world made it a significant actor. Pakistan is sitting at the crossroads of all major US conflict theaters. Because of this, Pakistan is able to leverage its position for greater geopolitical leverage.
Dr. Khuram Iqbal, in his remarks, highlighted that the ideological glue that cemented the Indo-US alliance has eroded. He remarked that India turning to the far-right has damaged India’s perception amongst US-policy makers.
