Renaming Asia: Trump admin opts for ‘Indo-Pacific’
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump isn’t just remaking American foreign policy in Asia by tearing up trade deals and getting tough on North Korea. His administration is giving the region a whole new name.
For decades, the vast expanse of ocean and continent that spans from Australia to India has been referred to in Washington as the “Asia-Pacific” — a region where the U.S. views itself as a benign and stabilizing presence.
But as Trump prepares for a five-nation Asian tour, White House officials and even the president himself are steering clear of that term and using “Indo-Pacific” instead.
The national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, used it repeatedly when he previewed the trip for reporters on Thursday. He boasted that the president “has placed 43 calls to Indo-Pacific leaders” since he took office. Trump also used the term in public remarks at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.