Will the Indo-Pacific become the new battleground for US- and China-led alliances?

US President Joe Biden has instructed the Pentagon to review America’s China-related strategy to meet challenges in the Indo-Pacific. The establishment of a China task force to revise US capabilities in Asia signifies the huge importance Washington attaches to China and the Indo-Pacific. The European Union has also been ramping up its policy planning for the region, with Germany, France and the Netherlands taking the lead.

The US’ first freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea during Biden’s term came just over two weeks after his inauguration, compared to four months for Donald Trump. Trump waited even longer for his first Taiwan Strait pass – Biden took just two weeks.

Then, on February 9, in a clear demonstration of the seriousness of the new administration’s intentions to maintain a “tough posture” towards Beijing, the US navy held a rare dual-aircraft-carrier exercise in the South China Sea, only its third since 2012.

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