'Free and open Indo-Pacific' can be no more than a slogan

The article challenges the increasingly hollow rhetoric behind the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” framework. Despite being a mainstay of diplomatic discourse, Robert Dujarric argues that the phrase lacks substance, with major regional actors pursuing self-interested foreign policies that often contradict the ideals they claim to uphold. From China’s economic leverage to the United States’ inconsistent commitments, the piece reveals how internal contradictions, strategic ambiguity, and competing priorities render the concept more symbolic than operational.

What happens when grand strategy becomes a slogan? The erosion of clarity in geopolitical frameworks like this risks not just confusion, but paralysis. If you’re interested in how language shapes policy—or how policy can drift untethered from reality—this is essential reading. Let us know your thoughts on whether a more grounded, actionable Indo-Pacific strategy is possible—or even desirable—in today’s multipolar world.