The Pivot: The Future of American Statecraft in Asia

by Kurt Campbell Narrated by Marc Vietor

Overview

From former assistant secretary of state Kurt M. Campbell comes the definitive analysis and explanation of the new major shift in American foreign policy, its interests and assets, to Asia.

There is a quiet drama playing out in American foreign policy far from the dark contours of upheaval in the Middle East and South Asia and the hovering drone attacks of the war on terror. The United States is in the midst of a substantial and long-term national project, which is proceeding in fits and starts, to reorient its foreign policy to the East. The central tenet of this policy shift, aka the Pivot, is that the United States will need to do more with and in the Asia-Pacific hemisphere to help revitalize its own economy, to realize the full potential of the region's dramatic innovation, and to keep the peace in the world's most dynamic region where the lion's share of the history of the twenty-first century will be written.

This book is about a necessary course correction for American diplomacy, commercial engagement, and military innovation during a time of unrelenting and largely unrewarding conflict. While the United States has intensified its focus on the Asia-Pacific arena relative to previous administrations, much more remains to be done.

The Pivot is about that future. It explores how the United States should construct a strategy that will position it to maneuver across the East and offers a clarion call for cunning, dexterity, and ingenuity in the period ahead for American statecraft in the Asia-Pacific region.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"This is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the emerging 'Pacific Century' and America's indispensable role in it."—John McCain, U.S. Senator

"In THE PIVOT, Campbell provides a deeply compelling rationale for refocusing American foreign policy priorities more on Asia. Surveying the wreckage of U.S. involvement in the Middle East over the last nearly twenty years, he provides a powerful guide for how to navigate the turbulent political waters of the Asia-Pacific, a region where American strategic engagement can make a deciding and decisive difference."—Walter Isaacson, president and CEO, Aspen Institute, and author of Steve Jobs

"THE PIVOT demonstrates why Kurt Campbell has become America's go-to expert on Asia. The book masterfully explains what Campbell calls the operating system in Asia and how he worked to rebalance U.S. foreign policy to give more attention to China and the Asia-Pacific region. Campbell's greatest strength is that he understands all the regional players-Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Philippines, and Vietnam-as well as China. If America gets Asia right in coming years, Campbell and his 'pivot' deserve much of the credit. How do you say must-read in Chinese?"—David Ignatius, columnist, Washington Post

"One may agree or disagree with Kurt Campbell's THE PIVOT . . . but one thing is clear: It is a timely contribution to a better understanding of the dilemmas inherent in the vital U.S.-China relationship."—Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Advisor

"It is difficult to overstate the importance of the Asia-Pacific to America's national security and prosperity. It is even more difficult to overstate Kurt Campbell's qualifications on this critical subject. Many have studied U.S. foreign policy toward Asia. Far fewer have set it. Kurt has done both with high honors."—Graham Allison, director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University, author of Rethinking America's Security: Beyond Cold War to New World Order

"As the chief architect of the Obama administration's pivot to Asia, Dr. Kurt Campbell served his country with distinction. In THE PIVOT, Dr. Campbell gives a comprehensive description of the evolution of U.S. policy toward Asia, captures the centrality of Asia to America's future, and makes a compelling argument as to the specific ways we can harness the potential of this dynamic region in the twenty-first century. This book should be required reading for policy makers and scholars alike."—Richard Armitage, former Deputy Secretary of State

"No region of the world will be more consequential for U.S. security and prosperity in the twenty-first century than the Asia-Pacific. THE PIVOT offers a rare combination of incisive insights and smart policy recommendations for how the United States should approach this critical region, now and in the future. Kurt Campbell's narrative is a rich tapestry of historical analysis, policy prescription, and personal anecdotes, woven together in a highly readable, sometimes provocative, and always interesting book. This is a must-read for anyone interested in America's future role in the world."—Michèle Flournoy, CEO, Center for a New American Security, and former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy

"Asia holds more than half the world's people including the second and third largest economies (China and Japan); the largest democracy (India); and the largest Muslim country (Indonesia). Kurt Campbell has played a central role in shaping American policy toward this vital region, and in THE PIVOT he skillfully guides us through the past, present, and future of this crucial relationship."—Joseph S. Nye, Jr., distinguished service professor, Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and author of Is the American Century Over?

"In THE PIVOT, Kurt Campbell, one of the nation's leading master strategists, makes a powerful case for America's sustained and forward-leaning engagement of Asia. As both intellectual architect and front-line diplomat for the Obama administration's 'pivot' to Asia, no one has a better view of the great historical forces and policy debates at play in this unfolding drama. THE PIVOT is both a witty and insightful firsthand account of America's emerging policy toward a rising Asia and a singularly eloquent statement of America's grand purposes in the world."—John Ikenberry, Albert G. Milbank Professor of Political and International Affairs, and author of Liberal Leviathan

"Kurt Campbell is one of America's foremost diplomats on Asia. He has written a highly provocative account of the history, and future, of America's engagement with the Eastern Hemisphere. Importantly, his voice is bound to be influential in any future Clinton administration."—Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister, Australia

"Balanced, constructive, and uniquely sensible, THE PIVOT is a must for those discussing, debating, or just thinking about America's role in the world. A thoughtful strategist, tested practitioner, and principal architect of rebalancing our foreign policy, Kurt Campbell pragmatically and convincingly drives home the foundations and imperative of America's continuing role in Asia and why Asia will continue to matter to the security and prosperity of the United States."—Admiral Gary Roughead, former Chief of Naval Operations

"Campbell has captured the rising portent of Asia's expanding contributions to manufacturing, transportation, cuisine, and, yes, culture and music. This fascinating read is not only a cogent narrative of the long and twisting tale of U.S. engagement towards Asia, but also a valuable foundation for those seeking insight into what lies ahead for U.S. relations with this vital part of the world."—Tim Westergren, founder, Pandora Music

"No modern American has contributed more to the ideas and plans which have driven the Obama administration's rebalancing of American national security policy to prioritize the Asia-Pacific than Kurt Campbell. Credit of course goes to principals: in this case, President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. But Kurt Campbell drove the innovative ideas and programs which gave the concept life. For a time, leaders in the region looked forward to a Campbell visit. Asian hosts knew they would be in receipt of serious policy acumen, not narrow American special pleading. His brand of diplomacy brought the relentless forward momentum of a heavy cruiser at flank speed. No one is better placed than Kurt Campbell to provide an authoritative guide to U.S.-Asia relations. This work will be required reading in every Asian capital."—Kim Beazley, former Australian Ambassador to the United States

Kirkus Reviews

2016-05-05
A former top diplomat promotes the much-ballyhooed "Pivot to Asia.""The arc from Japan and China to India is the most dynamic in the world, home to the world's fastest-growing economies, its largest middle class, and some of its most dangerous security hotspots," declares former Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Campbell (co-author: Difficult Transitions: Foreign Policy Troubles at the Outset of Presidential Power, 2008, etc.). The United States, however, has a long history of treating Asia as a "secondary theater," sporadically engaging with it and then turning away to deal with Europe, the Middle East, or domestic concerns. This behavior, argues the author, serves the U.S. poorly, and he makes a compelling case for the "pivot," a redirection or rebalancing of American attention to Asia. Campbell begins by surveying Asia's astonishing size and economic muscle and then summarizes American policy in Asia from the 1850s to the present. The heart of his argument is a 10-point American strategy for Asia, in which the author sets out in considerable detail his recommendations for intensified political, economic, and military engagement with the various nations of the continent. While Campbell covers American relations with an emerging China at length, he emphasizes that the pivot is not about that country alone but about "embed[ding] China policy within a much wider and more inclusive regional framework." Finally, the author addresses obstacles to the pivot's implementation, particularly Americans' exhaustion with foreign affairs and skepticism of trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which Campbell considers "the true sine qua non of the Pivot." Given his diplomatic experience, the author is well-informed and deeply thoughtful, but too much of his book reads like a PowerPoint presentation or policy briefing. Discussions of various countries or regions are designed to be read separately, which means that common observations are frequently repeated. The work is thorough and earnestly presented but not engaging. Invaluable for Asia policy wonks but not recommended for general readers.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940173551832
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	06/07/2016
Edition description:	Unabridged

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