Forbes features the Atlantic Council report Shaping the Asia-Pacific Future: Strengthening the Institutional Architecture for an Open, Rules-Based Economic Order, cowritten by Brent Scowcroft Center Nonresident Fellow Olin L. Wethington and Brent Scowcroft Center Resident Senior Fellow Robert A. Manning:
The United States needs a strategy for constructive engagement that leads to an inclusive and rules based order that fosters prosperity and cooperation in Asia. Neither US withdrawal nor aggressive containment are desirable. Where are we to look for a balanced strategy? My friend and colleague Olin Wethington recently released a report for the Atlantic Council that points towards a way forward.
Olin and his co-author Robert Manning maintain that the ideal scenario is one in which we preserve a broadly inclusive rules based order that adapts to new economic realities. This entails some changes in institutional governance structures, and increased commitment of resources and capacity from the United States and our partners. The report, titled Shaping the Asia-Pacific Future: Strengthening the Institutional Architecture for an Open, Rules-Based Economic Order provides a detailed analysis of the emerging dynamics in the region, the logic for supporting an inclusive and rule-based economic architecture, and a thorough outline of steps needed to achieve this outcome. While I would encourage everyone with an interest in US global leadership, economics, and geopolitics to read the entire report (a brisk 40 pages), there are some highlights below.