Originally published 20 January 2021

After the inauguration of President-elect Biden, this episode both takes a retrospective look at what worked and what didn’t in the Trump Administration’s approach to the Indo-Pacific, and examines what lies ahead for US foreign policy in the region.

This week, Veerle is joined by Blake Herzinger, non-resident Fellow at the Pacific Forum in Honolulu, who is an US Navy reserve officer currently based in Singapore, following 10 years of active service.

Veerle and Blake embark on a tour d’horizon of the Trump Administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy, unpacking the recently declassified US Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific drafted in 2018 and assessing what worked and what did not in the outgoing adminstration’s approach. The discussion then explores enduring possible continuities in the Biden Administration, and changes in future US policies toward the Indo-Pacific.

From reinforcing partnerships within and outside of the region – including with the UK – to the need for a more broad-based approach to security, the new administration will need to take advantage of goals which are more readily achievable, while more deftly handling enduring regional challenges.