Source: Getty
The next U.S. administration should commit greater leadership time to developing a more considered and engaged Asian policy that begins with a call for a new multilateral organization in East Asia.
A senior US figure has predicted that the incoming US administration will commit greater leadership time to developing a more considered and engaged Asian policy.
Interviewed by PublicAffairsAsia.com, Doug Paal, a former adviser to George W Bush, says it is essential for the White House to address the geo-political consequences of "the rise of India and China".
"The US has for some time had a standard rhetoric of the recognition of the importance of Asia, but when it comes to turning up to meetings or to devoting leadership time to Asia it does not happen," he says.
"That’s partly because of the conflicts that are currently being fought. But with a new administration there will be a chance to take advantage of the fact that we are at an inflection point in history."
He also says that the US now recognises its increasing dependence on Asian nations.
"We have talked for 25 years about the rise of Asia, but the fact is look at look at the industrialisation, look at the sovereign wealth, look at the demographics," he said.
"In the next 25 years Asian states are going to be more important to us and we need to apportion our talents and our time accordingly."
Paal, who now holds a senior position at the Carnegie Endowment for World Peace, also calls for the construction of "a new multi-lateral organisation" for East Asia.
“We should all be throwing out ideas to find out what sort of organisation suits the broadest group of parties the most,” he says.
The interview originally appeared at PublicAffairsAsia.com.
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
EU member states clash over how to boost the union’s competitiveness: Some want to favor European industries in public procurement, while others worry this could deter foreign investment. So, can the EU simultaneously attract global capital and reduce dependencies?
Rym Momtaz, ed.
Europe’s policy of subservience to the Trump administration has failed. For Washington to take the EU seriously, its leaders now need to combine engagement with robust pushback.
Stefan Lehne
Leaning into a multispeed Europe that includes the UK is the way Europeans don’t get relegated to suffering what they must, while the mighty United States and China do what they want.
Rym Momtaz
An exploration into how India and Pakistan have perceived each other’s manipulations, or lack thereof, of their nuclear arsenals.
Rakesh Sood
As Gaza peace negotiations take center stage, Washington should use the tools that have proven the most effective over the past decades of Middle East mediation.
Amr Hamzawy, Sarah Yerkes, Kathryn Selfe
