Lost Decade : The US Pivot to Asia and the Rise of Chinese Power

Across the political spectrum, there is wide agreement that Asia should be at the center of US foreign policy. But this worldview, the "Pivot to Asia" announced by the Obama Administration in 2011, is a dramatic departure from the entire history of American grand strategy. Ten years on, we now have some perspective to evaluate it in depth. In The Lost Decade, Robert Blackwill and Richard Fontaine take this long view. They conclude that there are few successes to speak of, and that we lack a coherent approach to the Indo-Pacific region. They examine the Pivot through various lenses: situating it historically in the context of America's global foreign policy, revealing the inside story of how it came about, assessing the effort thus far, identifying the ramifications in other regions (namely Europe and the Middle East), and proposing a path forward. Lost Decade is an essential guide for understanding the historic shift to Asia-centric geopolitics and its implications for America's present and future. Across the political spectrum, there is wide agreement that Asia should stand at the center of US foreign policy. But this worldview, first represented in the Obama Administration's 2011'Pivot to Asia,'marks a dramatic departure from the entire history of American grand strategy. More than a decade on, we now have the perspective to evaluate it in depth. In Lost Decade, Robert Blackwill and Richard Fontaine—two eminent figures in American foreign policy—take this long view. They conclude that while the Pivot's strategic logic is strong, there are few successes to speak of, and that we need a far more coherent approach to the Indo-Pacific region. They examine the Pivot through various lenses: situating it historically in the context of America's global foreign policy, revealing the inside story of how it came about, assessing the effort thus far, identifying the ramifications in other regions (namely Europe and the Middle East), and proposing a path forward. The authors stress that the US has far less margin for foreign policy error today than a decade ago. As the international order becomes more unstable, Blackwill and Fontaine argue that it is imperative that policymakers fully understand what the Pivot to Asia aimed to achieve—and where it fell short—in order to muster the resources, alliances, and resolve to preserve an open order in Asia and the world. Crafting an effective policy for the region, they contend, is crucial for preserving American security, prosperity, and democratic values. Lost Decade is an essential guide for understanding the historic shift to Asia-centric geopolitics and its implications for America's present and future. Across the political spectrum, there is wide agreement that Asia should stand at the center of US foreign policy. But this worldview, first represented in the Obama Administration's 2011 "Pivot to Asia," marks a dramatic departure from the entire history of American grand strategy. More than a decade on, we now have the perspective to evaluate it in depth. In Lost Decade, Robert Blackwill and Richard Fontainetwo eminent figures in American foreign policytake this long view. They conclude that while the Pivot's strategic logic is strong, there are few successes to speak of, and that we need a far more coherent approach to the Indo-Pacific region. They examine the Pivot through various lenses: situating it historically in the context of America's global foreign policy, revealing the inside story of how it came about, assessing the effort thus far, identifying the ramifications in other regions (namely Europe and the Middle East), and proposing a path forward. The authors stress that the US has far less margin for foreign policy error today than a decade ago. As the international order becomes more unstable, Blackwill and Fontaine argue that it is imperative that policymakers fully understand what the Pivot to Asia aimed to achieveand where it fell shortin order to muster the resources, alliances, and resolve to preserve an open order in Asia and the world. Crafting an effective policy for the region, they contend, is crucial for preserving American security, prosperity, and democratic values. Cover Half-Title Praise page Title Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgments 1. Introduction 2. What’s at Stake: The Pivot to Asia and American National Interests 3. The Pivots before the Pivot: The Clinton and Bush Administrations 4. Rhetoric Meets Reality: Obama’s Pivot to Asia 5. Turning on China: The Pivot during the Trump Administration 6. Gaining Ground: Biden Policy toward Asia and China 7. Please Stay: Europe and the Pivot 8. America Is Going Home: The Middle East and the Pivot 9. We Don’t Want to Choose: The Indo-.Pacific and the Pivot 10. We Will Build in Any Case: China Rises as the Pivot Stalls 11. Balancing Military Power in Asia: Defense Policy and the Pivot 12. Pivoting from Offense to Defense: The Changing Role of Economic Policy 13. Competition and Cooperation: Transnational Issues and the Pivot 14. Conclusion: The US Pivot to Asia and American Grand Strategy Notes Index