Broken Pivot: Examining Changes to the U.S. Diplomatic Footprint in the Indo-Pacific
The United States has not invested in nor deployed the diplomatic resources necessary to advance its interests in the Indo-Pacific region
By Evan Cooper Author • Mir Mohiuddin Research • Lucas Ruiz Research • Hunter Slingbaum Research
Diplomacy & Dialogue
November 14, 2024
Since President Barack Obama’s announcement of the “Pivot to Asia” in 2011, there has been bipartisan recognition of the importance of the United States building ties in the region. But underinvestment in the State Department and competing budgetary priorities have left the Department unable to increase the number of positions in many Indo-Pacific nations, impeding diplomacy. This report provides ideas for how the United States could develop a larger and sustainable diplomatic footprint in the Indo-Pacific, allowing the United States to better pursue its interests.
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Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Andrew Hyde and Brian Volsky for their review (either in personal or organizational capacity) of earlier versions of this report.
Executive Summary
This report examines how the U.S. diplomatic footprint has changed in the Indo-Pacific region from 2011 — when the pivot to Asia was first announced — to 2024. The last three administrations have repeatedly pledged to focus on the Indo-Pacific, increasingly highlighting competition with China as requiring deeper partnerships with countries in the region. The paper utilizes annual budget requests from the State Department to examine the extent to which the Department has tried to grow its diplomatic presence in the region through new postings at embassies and consulates. A comparison of the funding requests for the regional bureaus and positions dedicated to the Indo-Pacific countries with those for Europe and the Middle East reveals that these crucial elements of the diplomatic footprint have not significantly expanded and remain undersized compared with the U.S. presence in other regions. A closer look at how the U.S. diplomatic approach to India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Marshall Islands has changed from 2011-2024 largely confirms that the diplomatic pivot was incomplete, at best. The paper also analyzes U.S. diplomacy towards China, comparing it with the five countries that the United States has sought to draw more closely into its orbit.
https://www.stimson.org/2024/broken-pivot-examining-changes-to-the-u-s-diplomatic-footprint-in-the-indo-pacific/
