| Event Title: | Power Shift and the Regional Architecture of the Indo-Pacific |
| Topic: | ISAS Seminar |
| Date/Time: | 24 October 2018 | 15:00 - 16:45 |
| Venue: | ISAS Board Room, Level 9, Block B, 29 Heng Mui Keng Terrace |
| Speaker/s: | Professor Amitav Acharya |
| Description: | The ISAS Closed Door Session: Power Shift and the Regional Architecture of the Indo-Pacific was held on 20 October 2018. Organised by ISAS, the speaker Professor Amitav Acharya said that the Indo-Pacific is a work in progress. He discussed three areas during the session. First he shared that Asia-Pacific Regionalism started with a Pan Asian framework. There are different approaches towards the Indo-Pacific concept. While ASEAN wants Indo-Pacific to be renamed to Indo-Asia-Pacific, countries such as Australia are happy with the current terminology. Second, he shared on how ASEAN centrality is an idea goes a long way back. There was a rejection of great power leadership where ASEAN did not want to be dominated by anyone. Third, he discussed on the impact of China’s rise on regionalism where Beijing was the single most catalyst in the 1990s. However, the sentiments towards China have changed over time. There are now divisions within ASEAN on how to deal with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In conclusion, he said that ASEAN centrality is middle power orientation. There are different ideas and concepts of the Indo-Pacific. Japan’s concept of the Indo-Pacific is more in line with the US’s approach on how it should be “free and open”. There are likely to be many challenges when the Indo-Pacific is formalised further. |