United States Pivots to Asia

Abstract

The Obama administration announced in 2011 its intention to pivot strategically towards Asia. Ten years later, it was clear that this strategy had evolved, moving from strategic rebalancing to the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” strategy under Trump. However, had American diplomacy and defence's centre of gravity truly shifted to the Indo-Pacific? Regarding foreign policy, the woefully inadequate President Trump compromised this strategy by withdrawing the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and accelerating the American withdrawal from world affairs when China was consolidating its position in the Indo-Pacific.