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1 1 (May 12, 2017)

handle is hein.crs/govcexv0001 and id is 1 raw text is: FF. ' riE S-' $. h ,i . , Updated May 12, 2017 The Changing Geopolitics of Asia: Issues for Congress The 115th Congress has the opportunity to shape the Executive Branch's approach to foreign and security policy, including toward Asia, where shifting geopolitics are posing new challenges for U.S. policy. China is expanding its presence in its near seas, including the East China Sea and the South China Sea, as well as in the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean. It is also increasing its economic footprint in Southeast Asia and seeking to build economic corridors to its west, across the Eurasian continent. U.S. ally Japan is expanding its own presence in South and Southeast Asia, including pursuing infrastructure projects to boost regional economic connectivity. India, a U.S. strategic partner, is implementing Look East and Act East policies focused on East and Southeast Asia, even as its intense rivalry with neighboring Pakistan, a close partner of China, continues. North Korea's nuclear and missile threats are, meanwhile, driving re-evaluations of interests and relationships across the region. The tools Congress may use to influence U.S. policy in Asia include hearings and investigations; the Senate confirmation process; the authorizing and appropriations processes; other legislative directives and restrictions; resolutions and policy statements; inspectors general; reporting requirements; program evaluation; and informal advice and pressure. s iau K eyF * Five of the seven U.S. treaty allies are in Asia: Australia, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. Over 63,000 U.S. troops are deployed in the region. * In 2016, five Asian economies were among the top ten U.S. trading partners: China (no. 1), Japan (no. 4), South Korea (no. 6), India (no. 9), and Taiwan (no. 10). India is the world's fastest-growing major economy. * Asia is home to the United States' nearest competitor in economic size and military strength, China; the world's most populous democracy, India; and the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation and third most populous democracy, Indonesia. * Asia includes five nations with nuclear weapons programs: China and Russia, both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council; India and Pakistan, which are bitter rivals; and North Korea, which carried out two nuclear tests in 2016 alone. * Several Asian nations are struggling to defeat Islamist militancy, most prominently Pakistan. * Asian nations, including U.S. allies, are involved in maritime territorial disputes in at least three major bodies of water: the South China Sea, the East China Sea, and the Sea of Japan. Eme.-king TYren~ds * The balance of economic power in the region continues to shift. In 2010, China overtook Japan to become the world's second largest economic power in nominal terms. (China became the world's largest economy in purchasing power parity terms in 2014.) By 2030, many economists predict that China will overtake the United States to become the world's largest economy in nominal terms. By the same date, some predict that India might displace Japan for the number three economic spot. The economic and, to a lesser extent, military rise of India exacerbates national security fears in Pakistan and is being monitored warily in Beijing. * China is increasingly asserting leadership in regional economic and financial initiatives. It is championing its Belt and Road initiative, an effort to boost infrastructure development and economic connectivity-and expand China's influence-among more than 65 countries on three continents. The most prominent Belt and Road project, the $46 billion China- Pakistan Economic Corridor, would give China overland access to the Arabian Sea, allowing some of China's seaborne trade to bypass the Strait of Malacca, the strategic chokepoint that connects the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean via the Andaman Sea and the South China Sea. China is also promoting the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a regional trade agreement that does not include the United States. In 2015, China launched a new multilateral development bank, the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The United States is not a member, but 14 of the other G-20 nations are. * Military spending in the region is rising, with China seeking greater power projection capabilities and other nations seeking to enhance their security relative to China amid questions about the future U.S. role in regional security. China is the world's second-largest spender on defense, after the United States. India joined the top five global defense spenders in 2016, moving into the number four spot, according to IHS Jane's, and has become a major importer of U.S. defense articles. * Strategic rivalry between China and India appears to be intensifying, perhaps especially in the Indian Ocean region. The world's two most populous states also share the world's longest disputed land border and have divergent views on Pakistan, which enjoys significant support from Beijing, and on Tibet. .O 'T gognpo goo g , q 'S a X 11LULANJILiN,

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