There is a caricature of America’s “pivot” to Asia and it goes something like this: the Middle East and south Asia are the graveyard of US power and prestige and Washington must cut its losses to these ungrateful nations as quickly as possible and turn its full attention to the21st century that is playing out on more peaceful and profitable shores in the Asia-Pacific region. This concept of the pivot is posited not only to be in American interests but is also the supposed preference of most Asian nations.
But things are not so cut and dried in Asia, as elsewhere. There are many problems with the premise abstracted above beginning with the notion that Asia is somehow more about commerce than conflict. Indeed, just beneath the booming markets, the region is simmering with tensions, ranging from the deeply provocative actions of North Korea and, the growing defence budgets of leading nations in the region, to the vexing maritime disputes that are roiling relations in the South and East China Seas. So even when the US is finally able to devote more resources and attention to Asia – and that day is coming – it will be no picnic for American diplomacy.
Yet the most important fallacy in the caricature has Asian nations hankering for a rapid US withdrawal from the Middle East and a refocusing of American attention on Asian pursuits. This notion is demonstrably wrong and misunderstands several critical trends and realities.