Realisme Ofensif: Membaca Hegemoni Amerika Serikat dan Munculnya Cina sebagai Kekuatan Baru di Asia

MUHAMMAD RIZA WAHYU PRATAMA, Dr. Nur Rachmat Yuliantor S.I.P., M.A.(IR)

2017 | Skripsi | S1 ILMU HUBUNGAN INTERNASIONAL

Skripsi ini berupaya untuk menjelaskan respon pemerintahan Obama dalam kompetisi great power antara Amerika Serikat dan Cina, sebagaimana banyak dikatakan bahwa naiknya Cina dapat mengancam kepentingan Amerika Serikat di Asia. Berdasarkan teori realisme ofensif, modernisasi militer yang dilakukan Cina merupakan langkah awal dalam menjadi negara hegemon di Asia Pasifik. Pada akhirnya, jika Cina berkembang semakin kuat maka ia dapat mengeluarkan Amerika Serikat dari wilayah Asia, sebagaimana Amerika Serikat melakukan hal itu kepada negara-negara Eropa pada abad 19. Amerika Serikat di bawah pemerintahan Obama menghadapi 2 tantangan besar: pertama, merekonstruksi ekonomi pasca krisis, kedua, naiknya Cina menjadi great power baru. Berkaitan dengan masalah yang kedua, Obama telah mengambil beberapa langkah untuk mengamankan kepentingannya di Asia Pasifik melalui kebijakan militer, diplomasi, dan ekonomi. Menurut realisme ofensif langkah tersebut merupakan upaya balancing Amerika Serikat terhadap Cina. Dalam rangka balancing, Amerika Serikat telah memperkuat aliansinya bersama Jepang, Korea Selatan, Filipina, Indonesia, Australia, dan India. Amerika Serikat juga menambahkan bantuan ekonominya ke wilayah Asia Pasifik. Selain langkah tersebut Amerika Serikat Juga mengupayakan strategi buck passing dengan membangun dialog dengan Taiwan guna menghadapi Cina.

This paper aims to explain the Obama Administrations response to great power competition between the U.S. and China as it is commonly argued that the rise of China would pose as a threat to American interests in Asia. According to offensive realism, China's military modernization is seen as a step to become the regional hegemon in Asia Pacific. The theory explains that as China increasingly becomes more powerful, it will expell the U.S. presence from Asia Pacific, like when the U.S. pushed the European Great Power out of the American continent in the 19th century. The U.S., under Obama Administration, faces two major challenges: reconstructing American economy after crisis and responding to China's rise to become the new great power. In response to the second challenge, the Obama Administration has taken several approaches to secure the interests of the U.S. and its allies in Asia Pacific through military, diplomacy, and economic measures. These approaches are seen by offensive realism as efforts to balancing the China's rise. In its balancing acts in the region, the U.S. has strengthened its relations with Japan, South Korea, the Phillipines, Indonesia, Australia, and India. The US has also increased its economic support fund to Asia Pacific. These efforts are intended to strengthen the U.S. alliances in region and to diminish the potential of new alliances creation which will threaten American interests. Yet, the U.S.is also ready to take different approach by conducting a buck passing strategy with its policy of establishing a dialog with Taiwan in order to contain China.

Kata Kunci : Offensive realism, the U.S., China, great powers.