The emergence of the“Indo-Pacific” region as a focus of analytical and policy making attention illustrates the socially constructed nature of regional identities，and the differing purposes to which such visions might be put.For policymakers in Australia and Japan，the “Indo-Pacific” idea potentially offers a way of engaging with India，maintaining an American presence in the region，and generally responding to the “rise of China”.This paper explains how the “Indo-Pacific” initiative came about and assesses its implications for the major powers of the region.