# A Free and Open Indo-Pacific > 5 January 2021 statement from United States National Security Advisor Robert C. O'Brien **Wikidata**: [Q104847768](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q104847768) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/a-free-and-open-indo-pacific ## Summary A Free and Open Indo-Pacific is a statement issued on January 5, 2021, by United States National Security Advisor Robert C. O'Brien, which announced the declassification of the United States Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific. The document outlines the U.S. government's strategic approach to the Indo-Pacific region and represents a significant public articulation of American foreign policy priorities in that theater. ## Key Facts - **Title:** A Free and Open Indo-Pacific - **Author:** Robert C. O'Brien (United States National Security Advisor) - **Statement Date:** January 5, 2021 - **Publication Date:** January 12, 2021 - **Country of Origin:** United States - **Document Type:** Official government statement - **Primary Subject:** United States Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific - **Effect:** Declassification of the United States Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific - **Official URL:** https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-national-security-advisor-robert-c-obrien-011221/ - **PDF Source:** https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/OBrien-Expanded-Statement.pdf - **Wikisource Index:** https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Index:A_Free_and_Open_Indo-Pacific_(January_5,_2021).pdf - **Wikimedia Commons:** https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/A_Free_and_Open_Indo-Pacific_(January_5,_2021).pdf - **Language:** English - **Sitelink Count:** 1 ## FAQs **What is the relationship between this statement and the United States Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific?** The statement from National Security Advisor O'Brien served as the vehicle for announcing the declassification of the United States Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific, making public a previously classified document that outlined the U.S. strategic approach to the region. **Who authored A Free and Open Indo-Pacific?** The document was authored by Robert C. O'Brien, who served as the United States National Security Advisor at the time of the statement's release. **When was this document made public?** While the statement is dated January 5, 2021, it was officially published on January 12, 2021, on the White House website. **What is the Indo-Pacific region?** The Indo-Pacific is a geopolitical concept that encompasses the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean regions, increasingly used in international discourse to describe the strategic space where the Indian and Pacific oceans interact—a region of significant economic and strategic importance. **Where can the original document be accessed?** The full statement is available in PDF format on the White House website, and the document is also archived on Wikisource and Wikimedia Commons. ## Why It Matters The release of A Free and Open Indo-Pacific matters because it represented a deliberate shift toward transparency in U.S. foreign policy regarding one of the world's most strategically significant regions. By declassifying the United States Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific, the Trump administration provided unprecedented public insight into American strategic thinking about a region that encompasses critical global trade routes, rapidly growing economies, and complex security dynamics involving multiple nations. This statement signaled the U.S. commitment to maintaining its influence in the Indo-Pacific amid growing competition, particularly with China. The document's public release allowed allies and partners in the region to better understand American strategic priorities, potentially facilitating closer coordination on shared security and economic objectives. For analysts, policymakers, and researchers, the declassification offered valuable context for understanding how the United States conceptualized its role in the Indo-Pacific during this period. The timing of the release—just days before the transition to a new presidential administration—also made it a significant historical marker of the outgoing administration's approach to the region, establishing a framework that subsequent administrations would need to address. ## Notable For - First major public articulation of the declassified United States Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific - Released during a critical transition period in U.S. government, providing a strategic benchmark - Authored by the sitting National Security Advisor, lending official weight to the document's contents - Made available in multiple digital archives, ensuring long-term accessibility - Represents a rare instance of declassifying a strategic framework document for public consumption ## Body ### Document Overview and Authorship A Free and Open Indo-Pacific is an official statement released by the United States government through the Office of the National Security Advisor. The document was authored by Robert C. O'Brien, who served as the National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump from 2019 to 2021. The statement was initially dated January 5, 2021, with official publication occurring on January 12, 2021, on the White House website. The document carries the formal title "Statement from National Security Advisor Robert C. O'Brien" and serves as the official mechanism for announcing the declassification of the United States Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific. This dual purpose—making a policy statement while simultaneously releasing a classified document—gives the piece particular significance in the public record of American foreign policy. ### Historical Context and Timing The release of this statement occurred during the final weeks of the Trump administration, specifically just days before the inauguration of President Joe Biden on January 20, 2021. This timing is notable because it represents an effort to establish a strategic framework that would influence subsequent policy discussions regardless of the administration change. The Indo-Pacific concept had gained increasing prominence in U.S. foreign policy discourse during the late 2010s and early 2020s, reflecting the growing strategic importance of the combined Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean region. The statement's release was part of a broader effort to articulate American interests and commitments in this theater, particularly in response to China's expanding influence. ### Relationship to the United States Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific The central purpose of A Free and Open Indo-Pacific was to announce the declassification of the United States Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific. This classified document had apparently outlined the strategic approach of the United States toward the Indo-Pacific region, and its declassification represented an unusual level of transparency for such a strategic document. The statement has a direct causal relationship with this declassification, serving as the public-facing announcement that made the strategic framework accessible to analysts, foreign governments, and the general public. This relationship is explicitly noted in the structured properties of the document, which identify "has_effect" as the declassification of the United States Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific. ### Publication and Accessibility The statement was published through official White House channels, specifically on the whitehouse.gov website. The publication date of January 12, 2021, is confirmed through multiple official references, including the White House briefing room archive. The document is available in multiple digital formats and repositories: - The full statement appears on the White House website at the official briefing room URL - A PDF version is hosted on the White House website at wp-content/uploads/2021/01/OBrien-Expanded-Statement.pdf - The document is archived on Wikisource, the free library project, at the specific index page for the January 5, 2021 document - A file copy is preserved on Wikimedia Commons, ensuring preservation across multiple platforms This multi-platform availability ensures that the document remains accessible for research, academic study, and public reference regardless of changes to official government websites over time. ### Geographic and Strategic Significance The Indo-Pacific region, as referenced in the document's title, represents one of the most dynamically changing geopolitical spaces in contemporary international relations. The region encompasses: - Major global trade routes connecting Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas - Rapidly growing economies including China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states - Critical maritime chokepoints including the Strait of Malacca, the South China Sea, and the Strait of Hormuz - Complex security dynamics involving multiple territorial disputes, alliance structures, and competing strategic interests The United States Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific, as declassified through this statement, presumably articulated American strategic priorities designed to maintain stability, protect allies, and preserve U.S. influence in this crucial region. ### Document Classification and Preservation The fact that this statement and the accompanying strategic framework were declassified represents a significant decision regarding government transparency in matters of national security. The document's preservation across multiple platforms—including government archives, Wikisource, and Wikimedia Commons—demonstrates commitment to ensuring the long-term availability of this historical record. The document's metadata indicates it is classified as an instance of "document" type, with the main subjects being both the United States Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific and the broader concept of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. This dual classification reflects the document's dual nature as both a statement of policy and a mechanism for declassification. ### Digital Preservation and Archival Status The document has achieved a level of digital preservation uncommon for recent government statements. Its presence on Wikimedia Commons, specifically as a file accessible through Special:FilePath, indicates that the original document has been uploaded to a Wikimedia repository and will be maintained as part of the digital commons. This ensures that even if official government websites change or remove the document, copies will remain available through independent archives. The Wikisource index page specifically catalogs this document, making it searchable and accessible within a major digital library project dedicated to preserving source texts. This archival approach aligns with best practices for government document preservation and ensures broad accessibility for researchers and the public. ### Connection to Broader U.S. Policy Framework This statement exists within a broader ecosystem of U.S. policy documents related to the Indo-Pacific. The strategic framework it declassified presumably connected to other policy documents, diplomatic initiatives, and military positioning strategies that together comprised American approach to the region during the 2017-2021 period. The concept of a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" itself had become a significant diplomatic framework, used by the United States, Japan, Australia, and India—collectively known as the Quad—to describe their shared vision for the region. This statement helped operationalize that concept by making public the underlying strategic framework that guided American policy. ## References 1. [Statement from National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien. WhiteHouse.gov. 2021](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-national-security-advisor-robert-c-obrien-011221/)