The Obama Administration's Pivot to the Pacific: Implications for Southeast Asia and Indonesia

Beginning in late 2011, the Obama administration announced that it would be intensifying the U.S. role in the Asia-Pacific region. Since then, the U.S. has been raising the region’s priority in its military, foreign, and economic policies. Washington’s goal is to increase U.S. influence over the development of norms and rules in the Asia-Pacific to ensure that they accord with international law, freedom of commerce and of navigation, and the pacific settlement of disputes.

Since the announcement of its “pivot” to Asia, the U.S. has taken a number of important steps. It joined the East Asian Summit, one of the region’s premier multilateral institutions. Washington also announced new troop training rotations to Australia, new naval training rotations to Singapore and new areas of military cooperation with the Philippines among others. The U.S. has also secured progress in negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership (TPP) free trade area.

To what extent does the rebalance represent an extension of existing policies or a transformation of U.S. policy? What are the factors that drive the U.S. rebalance to the Pacific? Is the rebalance sustainable in an era of U.S. budget deficits? Where does Southeast Asia in general and Indonesia in particular fit into the rebalance? What are the key opportunities and challenges that the U.S. and Southeast Asian countries can anticipate from the rebalance?

USINDO is pleased to welcome Prof. Ann Marie Murphy, Associate Professor at Seton Hall University, to share her insights on the issue of the U.S. pivot to Asia and its implication for Southeast Asia and Indonesia. This Open Forum is a part of the “USINDO U.S. Foreign Policy Series”. Please join us for this informative event.

This event is open and free of charge. To register, please kindly RSVP HERE by June 24, 2013 at 9am.