Indo-Pacific

February 1, 2022 – Lt. Col. Stephen Joca, US Army War College, spoke at our weekly meeting about China-Taiwan relations.  The Indo-Pacific is the fastest growing region on the planet.  It accounts for 60 percent of the world economy, two-thirds of all economic growth over the last five years.  It’s home to more than half the world’s people, seven of the 15 biggest economies and it’s magnificently diverse, more than 3,000 languages, numerous faiths stretching across two oceans and three continents. The United States has long been, is, and always will be an Indo-Pacific nation.  This is a geographic fact, from our Pacific coast states to Guam, our territories across the Pacific.  And it’s a historical reality, demonstrated by our two centuries of trade and other ties with the region. Today, half of the United States’ top trading partners are in the Indo-Pacific.  It’s the destination for nearly one-third of our exports, the source of $900 billion in foreign direct investment in the United States, and that’s creating millions of jobs spread across all 50 of our states.  And more members of our military are stationed in the region than anywhere outside the continental U.S., ensuring peace and security that have been vital to prosperity in the region, benefiting us all. Five years ago, an international tribunal delivered a unanimous and legally binding decision firmly rejecting unlawful, expansive South China Sea maritime claims as being inconsistent with international law.  We and other countries, including South China Sea claimants, will continue to push back on such behavior.  It’s also why we have an abiding interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, consistent with our longstanding commitments.