Abstract
By way of introduction, the chapter discusses how the Indo-Pacific has emerged as the world’s economic and strategic centre of gravity, where increasing competition between established and rising powers co-exists with the process of deepening globalisation. The re-casting of the Asia–Pacific as the Indo-Pacific reflects the rise of geo-political and geo-economic rivalry in the region during the early twenty-first century. These new dynamics converge with a growing number of problems that do not respect borders. Given this complex context, the chapter also discusses what diplomacy means, how it relates to foreign policy, and how it has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the chapter introduces the contributions to the volume which brings together a unique combination of scholars and seasoned practitioners from within and beyond the region. In their contributions they analyse and discuss how interests, institutions, and issues affect, and are affected by, the transition from Asia–Pacific to Indo-Pacific.