Academia
The G2 concept that Trump has been touting lately is a highly unstable proposition that could make the emergence of a unipolar Asia more likely. Fortunately, Japan remains committed to advancing the far more effective “free and open Indo-Pacific" framework, with India as an indispensable partner.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) and United States President Donald Trump shake hands during a photo op at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026, amid talks focusing on trade, regional security and bilateral ties between the world’s two largest economies. (Reuters/Pool/Kenny Holston)
Grand foreign policy strategies rarely disappear overnight. More often, they are dismantled gradually through subtle rhetorical shifts, bureaucratic adjustments and changing diplomatic priorities. The United States’ Indo-Pacific strategy is no exception.A decade ago, then-Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe unveiled the concept of a “free and open” Indo-Pacific. Based on the idea that the Indian and Pacific oceans form a single strategic theater, he sought to build a coalition of democracies committed to preventing any one power from dominating the region.
The US subsequently embraced this vision, reviving the Quad coalition and establishing its members, Australia, India, Japan and the US, as the principal anchors of the regional balance of power. The underlying strategic logic was compelling. Like the alliance system more broadly, the Indo-Pacific coalition would amplify US influence by encouraging middle powers to shoulder greater responsibility for regional stability. Moreover, its multiple centers of power and shared objective would make it inherently resilient.
