Asian identities and the US-China bifurcation of world order

The shift from the term 'Asia-Pacific' to 'Indo-Pacific' in regional discourse does a disservice to the millennia-old concept of 'Asia' With the growing bifurcation of world order through the increased rivalry between the US and China, there is a tendency that the term "Asia-Pacific" is being eliminated gradually, which is unfortunate in terms of Asian social construction, diverse cultural identities, and inclusive geographical definitions. During Barack Obama's administration, "pivot to Asia" was the mantra for the United States' approach to the Asia-Pacific region considering the increased notations of concepts such as "the rise of Asia" and "the Asian Century." The…