Appropriating the Indo-Pacific Construct
An Analysis of Eurocentrism from a Southeast Asian Perspective
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7974483 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sharifah Munirah Alata (0000-0003-3970-5174, National University of Malaysia, corresponding author), Sharifah Munirah Alatas (National University of Malaysia, UKM Bangi, Malaysia) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 49 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 120-135 |
| Publication date | 2022-04-03 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Politikon (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0258-9346 • E-ISSN: 1470-1014 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/02589346.2022.2065424 |
| OpenAlex | W4224256764 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 17 |
Mainstream discourses on the Indo-Pacific have gained momentum over the last fifteen years or so. Since 2007, when India and Japan began sharing strategic assessments after China's enunciation of its “String of Pearls” strategy, military-strategic references to the construct dominated scholarly and policy discussions. This article is an analysis of these discourses, from the perspective of Southeast Asia. Specifically, the discussion suggests that the Southeast Asian roots of the Indo-Pacific construct predate 2007. They prioritise oceanic connectivity and diplomatic engagement across maritime spaces, embodied in the Southeast Asian concepts of nusantara and bebas-aktif. The small states of Southeast Asia had already conceived of one contiguous Indian and Pacific oceanic space within the context of decolonisation, Third World emancipation, and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). This article suggests that these conceptual maps remain muted in mainstream discourses on the Indo-Pacific. It also highlights the Eurocentric nature of discourses on regionalism and geopolitics, which tend to silence Southeast Asia's role in concept-building. The analysis concludes that discourses about the Indo-Pacific region would be more informed by Southeast Asia's strategic vision and perspectives on connectivity, which could in turn, contribute to more productive policies on peaceful engagement in region
China · Construct (python library · Ethnology · Eurocentrism · Geography · Geopolitics · Indo-Pacific · Mainstream · Political science · Politics · Regionalism (politics · Sociology · Southeast asia · Southeast Asian studies · Anthropology · Asian Geopolitics and Ethnography · Gender Studies · International Relations and Foreign Policy · Law · Maritime Security and History
The Rise and Return of the Indo-Pacific
The Making of Global International Relations
Nusantara
Indonesia’s Global Maritime Fulcrum
Anthony Reid and the Study of the Southeast Asian Past
Global History
Asia's New Geopolitics
The Evolution of Indonesia's Foreign Policy
Is the world's economic centre of gravity already in Asia
Southeast Asia and China
Asean and Regional Order
A Malaysian Perspective on Foreign Policy and Geopolitics
Sea and Ocean Basins as Frameworks of Historical Analysis
America's Strategy in World Politics
The Far East and Australasia 1997
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,5 |
| Citation span | 2024 - 2025 (2) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |