The Challenge of Pursuing International Governance in a Changing Indo-Pacific Region

抄録

This paper examines the challenge of pursuing international governance in a changing Indo-Pacific region generated by the U.S.-China competition. International governance refers to the sum of state-related activities, rules, and norms existing and operating in specific regional system. It involves a wide-array of states’ cooperative problem-solving arrangements to manage their relationship in a dynamic, conflict-prone and anarchic system. It involves cooperation and coordination by states in the absence of world government. The challenge of international governance is to prevent a systemic conflict in the light of the changes and tension generated by the U.S.-China competition in the Indo-Pacific region. This competition is a result of the Trump Administration’s adoption of a balancing strategy on China that involves challenging its assertive behavior as an emergent power and preserving the regional balance of power that tilts towards the United States. In conclusion, the paper will argue that international governance will involve managing the process of peaceful change as the Indo-Pacific region that evolves from a balance of power system that tilts towards American preponderance to either a concert of powers system or a Sino-centric order.