The State of the Indo-Pacific Conference 2025

The State of the Indo-Pacific Conference 2025 is the Indo-Pacific Studies Center’s flagship convening of leading thinkers, policymakers, scholars, and regional actors shaping the future of the Indo-Pacific.

Conference Theme

In an era marked by geopolitical fragmentation, resurgent protectionism, and intensifying great power rivalry, the Indo-Pacific stands at a strategic inflection point. With the return of Trump-era tariffs and a more transactional U.S. posture, the region confronts a dual challenge: responding to China’s assertive expansionism while navigating the uncertainty of waning multilateral commitments.

But this moment also opens new possibilities.

Can Indo-Pacific actors transcend great power dependencies and forge a new architecture of cooperation — one grounded in strategic autonomy, shared prosperity, and regional resilience?

What does sovereignty look like in the 21st century — not merely as a shield, but as a foundation for shaping global norms, partnerships, and futures on Indo-Pacific terms?

Rather than waiting for stability to be delivered from Washington or Beijing, the Indo-Pacific must define its own pathways forward — in technology, security, climate leadership, and democratic governance. This conference convenes the region’s thought leaders, practitioners, and policymakers to reimagine how power and partnership can be reconceived to serve a more balanced, equitable, and enduring Indo-Pacific order.

As ideas like an Indo-Pacific Treaty Organization (IPTO) gain quiet traction, the time is ripe to reimagine power-sharing, burden-sharing, and institution-building for a region no longer willing to be a pawn in great power games.

Track 1.5 Dialogue

The State of the Indo-Pacific Conference 2025 is convened as a premier Track 1.5 dialogue platform, bringing together senior government representatives, diplomats, scholars, industry leaders, and civil society actors.

In a region marked by fragmentation and rapid transformation, this hybrid format enables open, policy-relevant conversations that bridge official diplomacy and independent expertise.

Hosted by the Indo-Pacific Studies Center (IPSC), the conference provides a neutral forum to explore regional cooperation, strategic realignment, and innovative solutions to shared Indo-Pacific challenges. Held annually, the conference provides a platform to discuss critical challenges facing the region, from climate action and strategic security to economic cooperation and multilateral governance.