How to Better Leverage the "Indo" in the US Indo-Pacific Strategy

"Washington has sharpened its focus on the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) in recent years, with the Indo- Pacific Strategy (IPS) according ample attention to a massive maritime space that includes South Asia and stretches from eastern Africa to the west coast of Australia. This heightened focus can be attributed to intensifying geopolitical rivalry and US-China competition: Deepening US-China tensions have coincided with a westward push by Beijing across the Indo-Pacific to expand influence, both military and non-military.

However, Washington faces bureaucratic, strategic, and diplomatic challenges in making the IOR a more substantive part of its broader IPS."

Read more in this new policy brief from from Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute.