Geopolitical Strategies In Maritime Policy: Implications For Security And Stability In The Indo-Pacific Region
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30649/pmr.v3i2.77Keywords:
geopolitical strategies, Indo-Pacific, multilateral cooperation, regional stabilityAbstract
The Indo-Pacific region is a critical geopolitical arena, shaped by strategic competition, territorial disputes, and economic interdependence. This research examines the risks and opportunities for maintaining stability in the region, focusing on the implications of major stakeholders' strategies, such as China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy, and ASEAN’s regional policies. Using a qualitative approach based on secondary data, the study analyzes policy documents, reports, and academic literature to uncover key dynamics influencing regional security. The findings highlight significant risks, including rising tensions between major powers, fragmented ASEAN cohesion, and vulnerabilities to non-traditional threats such as cyberattacks and climate change. Conversely, opportunities exist through multilateral cooperation, economic integration, and technological innovations that enhance maritime security and sustainability. The research concludes that achieving stability requires balancing power dynamics, fostering inclusive dialogue, and addressing shared challenges collaboratively. By leveraging economic and technological tools while promoting transparency and trust, the Indo-Pacific can navigate its complexities to secure a stable and prosperous future.
Keywords: geopolitical strategies, Indo-Pacific, multilateral cooperation, regional stability
Downloads
References
Anand, Y., Pandey, A., & Yadav, M. P. (2024, October 24). Dialogue to diplomacy: QUAD is shaping the emerging global order. Policy Circle. https://www.policycircle.org/opinion/quad-reshaping-indo-pacific/
ASEAN. (2019). “ASEAN OUTLOOK ON THE INDO-PACIFIC.” https://asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ASEAN-Outlook-on-the-Indo-Pacific_FINAL_22062019.pdf
Beeson, M., & Lee-Brown, T. (2021). Regionalism for Realists? The Evolution of the Indo-Pacific. Chinese Political Science Review, 6. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41111-020-00163-0
Bilal, A., & Akhtar, S. (2020). India’s ‘Indo-Pacific’ Strategy: Emerging Sino-Indian Maritime Competition. Strategic Studies, 40. https://doi.org/10.53532/ss.040.03.0073
Blanchard, J. M. F. (2018). China’s maritime silk road initiative (MSRI) and southeast Asia: A Chinese ‘pond’ not ‘lake’ in the works. Journal of Contemporary China, 27(111), 329–343. https://doi.org/10.1080/10670564.2018.1410959
Blanchard, J.-M. F., & Flint, C. (2017). The Geopolitics of China’s Maritime Silk Road Initiative. Geopolitics, 22(2), 223–245. https://doi.org/10.1080/14650045.2017.1291503
Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40.
Brewster, D. (2015). Indian strategic thinking about the Indian Ocean: striving towards strategic leadership. India Review, 14(2), 221–237. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/14736489.2015.1030198
Business Standard. (2024, June 16). Quad transformed from security dialogue into multifaceted tie-up: Report. Business Standard. https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/quad-transformed-from-security-dialogue-into-multifaceted-tieup-report-124061600065_1.html
Campbell, J., & Barnett, J. (2010). Climate change and small island states: power, knowledge and the South Pacific. Routledge. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4324/9781849774895
Campbell, K. M., & Doshi, R. (2021). A Strategy for Restoring Balance and Legitimacy. https://repec.viet-studies.com/kinhte/AmericaShoreAsia_FA.pdf
Collins, A. (2000). ASEAN’s Security Dilemma. In A. Collins (Ed.), The Security Dilemmas of Southeast Asia (pp. 89–129). Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780333985632_4
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. SAGE Publications. https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/sites/default/files/teams/82/communications/Creswell%202003%20-%20Research%20Design%20-%20Qualitative%2C%20Quantitative%20and%20Mixed%20Methods.pdf
DOS. (2022). The Indo-Pacific Strategy. DOS . https://www.state.gov/indo-pacific-strategy/
ESCAP. (2023). A Study on the Implementation Strategy of the Green Shipping Corridor in Asia and the Pacific based on the literature review and experts’ contributions during the "Workshop on Sustainable and Resilient port development to support Sustainable Maritime Connectivity in the. https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/d8files/event-documents/Dec6-7_Report-on-GSC_03-2023.pdf
Glaser, B. S., & Poling, G. (2021, August 20). China’s Power Grab in the South China Sea. Foreign Affairs. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/china/2021-08-20/chinas-power-grab-south-china-sea
Gong, X. (2020). The Belt and Road in Southeast Asia and the Impact on the Indo-Pacific. Security Challenges, 16(3), 39–46. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26924338
Gresh, G. F. (2021). PALGRAVE STUDIES IN MARITIME POLITICS AND SECURITY Maritime Issues and Regional Order in the Indo-Pacific l e sz e k busz y nsk i do t h a n h h a i. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68038-1
Hayton, B. (2014). The South China Sea: The Struggle for Power in Asia. Contemporary Southeast Asia, 36, 467. https://doi.org/10.1355/cs36-3f
Jin, T. (2024, July 3). Paradox of Militarization: An Escalating Tension in the South China Sea. Foreign Analysis. https://foreignanalysis.com/paradox-of-militarization-an-escalating-tension-in-the-south-china-sea/
Kaplan, R. D. (2015). Asia’s cauldron: The South China Sea and the end of a stable Pacific. Random House Trade Paperbacks. https://archive.org/details/asiascauldronsou0000kapl
Koga, K. (2020). Japan’s “Indo-Pacific” question: Countering China or shaping a new regional order? In International Affairs (Vol. 96, Issue 1, pp. 49–73). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiz241
Liu, K. (2023). The Chinese Debt Trap Diplomacy Narrative: An Empirical Analysis. Statistics, Politics and Policy. https://doi.org/10.1515/spp-2022-0017
Mazumdar, S. Sen. (2024). India’s Role in the Indo-Pacific Region: An Overview of Strategic Geopolitical Convergences. In O. Mishra & S. Sen (Eds.), Global Political Economy, Geopolitics and International Security: The World in Permacrisis (pp. 275–290). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-2231-0_16
Medcalf, R. (2020). Indo-Pacific Empire: China, America and the Contest for the World’s Pivotal Region. https://researchportalplus.anu.edu.au/en/publications/indo-pacific-empire-china-america-and-the-contest-for-the-worlds-
MOFA. (2023). New Plan for a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP).” https://www.mofa.go.jp/files/100477660.pdf
Park, J. J. (2024, October 29). Strengthening Maritime Domain Awareness in the Indo-Pacific: Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain and Awareness. IPSC. https://www.indo-pacificstudiescenter.org/blog/strengthening-maritime-domain-awareness-in-the-indo-pacific-indo-pacific-partnership-for-maritime-domain-and-awareness
Permal, S. (2024). Strategic Dynamics in the Indo-Pacific | Partnership for Maintaining Inclusive and Stable Maritime Region Strategic Dynamics in the Indo-Pacific: Partnership for Maintaining Inclusive and Stable Maritime Region. www.hcss.nl
Sacks, B. J. (2022). The Political Geography of the South China Sea Disputes: A RAND Research Primer. https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/perspectives/PEA2000/PEA2021-1/RAND_PEA2021-1.pdf
Sambhi, N. (2020). Indonesia’s Indo-Pacific Vision. Asia Policy, 15(4), 37–50. https://www.nbr.org/publication/indonesias-indo-pacific-vision-staying-the-course-in-a-covid-19-world/
Sandrina, F., & Prastyono, A. (2024). Indonesia’s Position in Navigating the Stability of the Indo-Pacific Region Through Multilateral Cooperation between RCEP and IPEF. Jurnal Hubungan Luar Negeri, 9(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.70836/jh.v9i1.46
Sarjito, I. A. (2023). Kebijakan dan Strategi Pertahanan. CV Jejak (Jejak Publisher). https://books.google.co.id/books?hl=en&lr=&id=EAThEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=Sarjito,+I.+A.+(2023).+Kebijakan+dan+Strategi+Pertahanan.+CV+Jejak+(Jejak+Publisher).&ots=Uyy4d7tcpm&sig=wdBidKzdMs-bP7vWJFSae33NDq8&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
Scobell, A. (2021). Constructing a U.S.-China Rivalry in the Indo-Pacific and Beyond. Journal of Contemporary China, 30(127), 69–84. https://doi.org/10.1080/10670564.2020.1766910
Scott, D. (2018). The Indo-Pacific in US strategy: Responding to power shifts. Rising Powers Quarterly, 2(2), 19–43. https://rpquarterly.kureselcalismalar.com/quarterly/the-indo-pacific-in-us-strategy-responding-to-power-shifts/
Simões, L. (2022). The Role of ASEAN in the South China Sea Disputes Written by Leticia Simões The Role of ASEAN in the South China Sea Disputes. https://www.e-ir.info/2022/06/23/the-role-of-asean-in-the-south-china-sea-disputes/
Singh, S. M. R. (2023). Multilateralism in the Indo-Pacific. https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Studies-on-Think-Asia/
Storey, I., & Lin, C.-Y. (2016). The South China Sea dispute: Navigating diplomatic and strategic tensions. ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.
Werle, D., Boudreau, P. R., Brooks, M. R., Butler, M. J. A., Charles, A., Coffen-Smout, S., Griffiths, D., Mcallister, I., Mcconnell, M. L., Porter, I., Rolston, S. J., & Wells, P. G. (2019). The Future of Ocean Governance and Capacity Development. http://www.un.org/depts/los
Yin, R. K. (2015). Qualitative research from start to finish. Guilford publications.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Policy and Maritime Review

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.





