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Understanding International Relations in the Indo-Pacific (Routledge Studies on the Asia-Pacific Region)
Author(s): Aleš Karmazin (Author), Michal Kolmaš (Author), Guangyu Qiao-Franco (Author)
- Publisher: Routledge
- Publication Date: November 4, 2025
- Edition: 1st
- Language: English
- Print length: 220 pages
- ISBN-10: 1032914505
- ISBN-13: 9781032914503
Book Description
Karmazin, Kolmaš, and Qiao-Franco deconstruct the concept of the Indo-Pacific and offer a timely, comparative, and multidimensional exploration of the region’s international relations.
Addressing fundamental academic questions regarding the viability of the Indo-Pacific as a regional conception, this book examines whether the Indo-Pacific is a true regional community or a strategic invention driven by global rivalries and geopolitical interests. Drawing on a rich blend of International Relations, Security Studies, International Political Economy, Human and Political Geography, Cultural Studies, and Area Studies, the book investigates the key thematic areas that define the region’s past, present, and future. They include a historical investigation of formation, enculturation, and demarcation of the region; colonization, decolonization, and construction of the modern state; conflicts and wars in (trans)regional settings; regional economy and development; institutions and other modes of international or transnational cooperation; and cultures, societies and identities within and across the Indo-Pacific countries.
An essential read for students, scholars, and practitioners of international affairs who seek to make sense of one of the world’s most dynamic and contested regions.
Chapters 2, 3 and 5 of this book are freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives (CC-BY-ND) 4.0 license.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“This is an excellent new contribution to the literature on Indo-Pacific international relations. Theoretically grounded and containing rich empirical analysis, it will become a widely used text for students and teachers and a tool for media and policymakers dealing with this vital region of the world.”
Amitav Acharya, Professor, American University, USA; author of The Once and Future World Order
“This highly accessible and insightful monograph equips students with the tools to critically engage with the evolving Indo-Pacific region. With its broad interdisciplinary perspective―spanning security, economics and development, institutions and questions about culture and identity―the book offers both conceptual clarity and up-to-date regional analysis. It is an ideal resource for courses in international relations and Asian security.”
Linus Hagström, Professor, Swedish Defence University, Sweden
“I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, Understanding International Relations in the Indo-Pacific, which provides a compact yet comprehensive introduction to the variety of facets of international politics in the Indo-Pacific. The book masterfully gives an eclectic, pluralistic and comparative account of the early history and modern era of the region, its security dynamics, economic development, regional institutions and cultural development. The list of questions at the end of each chapter would undoubtedly trigger lively debates among those interested in the Indo-Pacific discourse.”
Dewi Fortuna Anwar, Professor, Research Centre for Politics-National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia
About the Author
Aleš Karmazin is Assistant Professor at the Department of Asian Studies, Metropolitan University Prague. He is interested in global order, international politics in the Indo-Pacific, and Chinese politics.
Michal Kolmaš is Associate Professor at the Department of Asian Studies, Metropolitan University Prague, and editor-in-chief of the Czech Journal of International Relations. He focuses on climate change in international relations and Japanese foreign policy.
Guangyu Qiao-Franco is Assistant Professor of International Relations at Radboud University and Advisory Board Member at the Leiden Asia Centre. Her research covers ASEAN governance, China’s diplomacy, and technology politics.
