Event: Indo-Pacific Empire: The Contest for the World’s Pivotal Region
Channel: War Studies KCL
Date: 2020-05-30

This webinar was originally hosted on May 21, 2020 at 10:00 AM BST by Dr Alessio Patalano of the King's Japan Programme.

The King's Japan Programme was delighted to host a book launch of Rory Medcalf's new work 'Indo-Pacific Empire: China, America and the Contest for the World’s Pivotal Region.' Watch Professor Medcalf and Sir Lawrence Freedman have a conversation about the book.

About the book:

The definitive guide to the world's most contested region. The Indo-Pacific is both a place and an idea. It is the region central to global prosperity and security. It is also a metaphor for collective action. If diplomacy fails, it will be the theatre of the first general war since 1945. But if its future can be secured, the Indo-Pacific will flourish as a shared space, the centre of gravity in a connected world.

What we call different parts of the world - Asia, Europe, the Middle East - seems innocuous. But the name of a region is totemic, guiding the decisions of leaders and the story of international order, war and peace. In recent years, the label 'Indo-Pacific' has suddenly gained wide use. But what does it really mean?

Written by a globally-renowned expert, Indo-Pacific Empire is the definitive guide to tensions in the region. It deftly weaves together history, geopolitics, cartography, military strategy, economics, games and propaganda to address a vital question: How can China's dominance be prevented without war?