The Indo-Pacific has become the defining strategic idea of our time. But can it evolve into a true region, or do its structural flaws make that ambition unattainable?
What makes a region in international affairs? Why do some regional projects succeed while others remain stillborn? What lessons can be drawn from the success and failures of regionalisms? And can answers to these questions tell us whether the Indo-Pacific will move from being a strategic construct to a full-fledged region?
Regions in International Relations
Regions in international politics are different from how the word “region” is commonly understood and used. We tend to think of regions in terms of geography and culture. Geography is certainly the starting point, and some parts of the world form natural regions. North and South America as well as Africa are clearly marked out continental regions. South Asia is a distinctive subcontinental region.
