The Indo-Pacific region has a long history but has only gained prominence in the past decade. Regions in international politics are dynamic rather than static. They are a consequence of power relations and the conceptualisation of regions (such as the Indian subcontinent, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Asia-Pacific and now the Indo-Pacific) have evolved with the changing power dynamics. Additionally, the boundaries of regions are arbitrary. It is unclear why the Asia-Pacific boundary stops at Myanmar and does not include India. Similarly, given Myanmar’s
historic location within British India, its exclusion from South Asian frameworks is also not based on a rational criterion. This is perhaps an indication that the boundaries of international regions are contingent on political interests.
