The thesis is to study U.S Strategy in the Indo-Pacific region under Trump administration by taking the South China Sea as a case study. It is indubitable that the South China Sea plays a vital role for peace and stability in East Asia and the world. However, there still persist maritime disputes between coastal nations and big powers and hence increasing tensions and complexity.
Freedom of navigation is not only a crucial legal principle of the United Nations Convention Law of the Sea but it is a vital strategy employed by President Donald Trump. This is particularly remarkable for South China Sea because freedom of navigation is also impacted by maritime disputes between the littoral states and other relevant nations.
To assess the U.S Strategy in the Indo-Pacific region, the thesis emphasizes the significance of Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy and the quadrilateral cooperation between the U.S and Japan, Australia, India. These four countries are considered as a diamond quadrangular in the Indo-Pacific. In addition, the thesis displays the U.S strategic options to challenge China in the South China Sea and highlights the state of the U.S-China relations in this area.
