The Evolution of US Pacific Policy at the Beginning of the 21st Century: Approaches to the Topic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31861/mediaforum.2026.18.327-343Keywords:
USA, Indo-Pacific region, China, geopolitics, strategic competition, alliances, “Pivot to Asia”, “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”, “soft power”Abstract
The article examines the evolution of the Pacific policy of the United States of America in 2000–2025 as one of the central directions of the modern global strategy of the United States. Based on official documents of the White House, the Department of Defense, the State Department, analytical materials of leading American research centers (Brookings Institution, RAND Corporation) and scientific works of M. Green and J. Nye, the process of formation and transformation of the American vision of the role of the Asia-Pacific region (APR) in the 21st century is analyzed.
Particular attention is paid to a comparison of the political courses of the administrations of J. Bush Jr., B. Obama, D. Trump and J. Biden, their contribution to the formation of the concept of the "Indo-Pacific".
The patterns of the transition from the policy of "engagement" to the policy of "strategic competition", enshrined in the "National Security Strategy" (2025) and "National Defense Strategy" (2026), are determined.
It is concluded that the evolution of American Pacific policy reflects the shift of the US global focus to the East and the formation of the Indo-Pacific region as a key space of superpower rivalry in the 21st century.
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References
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