The Indo-Pacific Chooses Options, Not Sides

Countries in the Indo-Pacific are increasingly rejecting the pressure to choose between the United States and China, instead forging their own paths based on strategic pluralism. This growing movement favors flexible coalitions and shared rules, allowing nations to prioritize their own agency and economic interests over rigid alignments. Many regional leaders emphasize that economic disruption, not military imbalance, is their primary security concern, pushing back against the zero-sum framing of the great-power rivalry. Consequently, nations like Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines are pursuing sophisticated hedging strategies, expanding defense cooperation with the West while simultaneously strengthening vital economic ties with Beijing.