I remember going to an economic conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico around the turn of the century and seeing a quote in front of a workshop room that said: “If China and India are not in your present, you have no future.” Then we had 9/11 and the theme expressed on that wall seem to disappear.
The search for Osama Bin Laden turned into nation building of Iraq and Afghanistan. Although extensively justified, the operations in the two countries constituted major distractions from the call of destiny.
A decade later I went to Japan to attend the change of command ceremony where my son Ben became the new commander for the 33rd Combat Air Rescue Squadron in Okinawa. During my stay, we had extensive conversations about the need to pivot to Asia to engage the growing economic powers that China and India were and are becoming.
After 8 years of negotiations, 12 countries: Australia: Bronei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and the United States formally agreed to form the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as part of an expressed desire to set the rules by which trade and other economic activity would be conducted. When President Obama signed the TPP treaty in 2016, it became clear that the serious engagement with Asia, a major strategic goal, was again on the table as the United States and its Pacific rim economic allies were determined to be the players in a future that involved China and its vast industrial complex and potential consumer economy.
The watershed moment completed decades of messaging that argued for the United States to pivot to China and Asia and perhaps, diminish attention on other parts of the world that were losing their relative importance.
Unfortunately, the agreement was a little before its time as political differences caused America to withdraw from the treaty. The country again was lacking the pivot so obviously necessary.
President Biden who, as Obama’s Vice President, had a role in constructing the TPP, appears to have resurrected the interest in that Pacific rim alliance that seeks to face China both economically and militarily. The military side of the interest comes from the Chinese threat to take Taiwan by force.
However, just as our involvement with China became a focal point of our foreign policy, Russia invaded Ukraine again and NATO had to develop a strong response. This event together with the Israeli war on terror again complicates our future in Asia.
The question is not about the necessity or appropriateness of America’s involvement in the defense of both countries. It is a settled matter that democratic allies must support each other if that way of political life is to survive.
At the same time, the larger picture reveals the shift to new economic and military powers in the world requiring strategic thinking and renewed commitment to the trade models that have served democracies so well. In defending our political interests in Europe and the Middle East. We cannot take our eyes off Asia.
Compounding the events that are taking our attention from our strategic goals in Asia is a very pronounced isolationism that has crept into American political life. That isolationist tendency diminished and almost destroyed NATO cohesiveness during the previous administration.
The United States cannot shy away from its responsibilities as the economic and political leader of the world. Besides, we have only to remember that “if China and India are not in your present, you have no future.”
The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of laVozColorado. Comments and responses may be directed to News@lavozcolorado.com.
