The U.S. Pivot to Asia and American Grand Strategy

Since the Obama administration announced the U.S. “Pivot to Asia” in November 2011, vigorous debate has risen about what this means for U.S. foreign policy and American grand strategy. Some experts worry that the pivot seriously weakens transatlantic relations, leaves the Middle East in disarray, and dangerously confronts China. Other experts argue that U.S. vital national interests have shifted in the past two decades, that a pivot to Asia is required to address the Pacific Century and the threat of China, and that Asia is therefore where U.S. military, economic, and diplomatic resources should primarily focus. The Project on the U.S. Pivot to Asia and American Grand Strategy addresses the conceptual origins of the U.S. Pivot to Asia and its connection to American grand strategy; the pivot and U.S. vital national interests; its effects over the last decade on Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; its impact on U.S. defense policy, intelligence assets, diplomacy, and economic statecraft; and the proper distribution of U.S. national security resources in the period ahead. The project engages a CFR study group on the subject and will culminate with the release of a book on the U.S. Pivot to Asia, to be published by Oxford University Press in 2023.