Getting hedging right: a small-state perspective

Kuik, Cheng-Chwee

doi:10.1007/s42533-021-00089-5

Cited by 51 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…As the US‐China rivalry intensifies, unfortunately, the window of opportunity for small and middle powers to “hedge” against the risk of taking sides on either great power would likely be closing, and the utility of tactical hedging is also decreasing (Ciorciari & Haacke, 2019; Koga, 2018; Korolev, 2019; Kuik, 2021). Nevertheless, it is also true that there are more strategic opportunities for South Korea to connect itself to the Indo‐Pacific network.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Struggle for coalition‐building: Japan, South Korea, and the Indo‐Pacific

Koga

2023

Asian Politics and Policy

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One of the most important defining features of Japan's "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" (FOIP) vision is coalition-building. Given the Yoon administration's strong political will to commit to the Indo-Pacific affairs and improve its ties with Japan, can Japan and South Korea finally forge cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region? I argue that Japan has not incorporated South Korea in its FOIP vision because of four main factors: timing, leadership transition, commitment to regional and global strategic affairs, and differing perspectives on China. Particularly, the negative impact of South Korea's leadership change and its fluctuating commitment to regional and global affairs have nurtured Japan's skepticism toward South Korea's potential role in the Indo-Pacific region. In this context, the key to overcoming such difficulties and incorporating South Korea into the Indo-Pacific network depends on the Yoon administration's conceptualization and institutionalization of its Indo-Pacific strategy and Japan's support for South Korea's current diplomatic activism

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Struggle for coalition‐building: Japan, South Korea, and the Indo‐Pacific

Koga

2023

Asian Politics and Policy

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“…Understanding it from the theoretical point of view of international politics, hedging is a phenomenon where nations choose a different path either from the traditional balancing and bandwagoning approach. This includes a mixed bag of selective engagement, limited restrain, and partial deference (Kuik, 2021). Hedging is a phenomenon where nations distribute their interests between major powers so the chance of survivability in times of great power competition exponentially increases.…”

Section: China's Position On the Coup In Myanmar -From Hedging To Ban...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The changing dynamics of China-Myanmar relations post the Military Coup - From Hedging to Bandwagoning?

Deb

Khai

2023

Preprint

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Myanmar was ostracized by the major western democracies and a series of sanctions were imposed against the military junta post the coup in 2021. This led other major powers like China to capitalize on the situation on the ground. With Myanmar sharing one of its longest land borders with China, therefore the response of Beijing regarding the military coup becomes a critical issue to investigate. This article investigated how China which is one of the major powers and one of Myanmar’s most important trading partners responded to the military coup. The paper further examines the geo-strategies and geo-economic interests of China with respect to Myanmar. The paper analysed the alteration of China’s Myanmar policy from the beginning of the coup and how it had altered post one year after the coup. The paper uses the theoretical approach of hedging and bandwagoning to determine the change in China’s approach toward Myanmar.

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“…In the absence of the COC, ASEAN members, especially the claimant states to the South China Sea, must act diplomatically to counter China's assertiveness. The Philippines' position and dilemmas mimic that of Vietnam, in which academics have argued that the two have been hedging to offset possible risks from alignment to one great power (US or China) (Ciorciari and Haacke 2019;Cheng Chwee Kuik 2021). Besides the apparent undermining of state sovereignty, China's power asymmetry is also a problem.…”

Section: The Indo-pacific Coastguard Age and The Philippines' White H...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Golden Age of White Hulls: Deciphering the Philippines’ Maritime Diplomatic Strategies in the South China Sea

Putra

2023

Social Sciences

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The Philippines is facing increased assertiveness by China in the South China Sea. By constantly deploying maritime constabulary forces, China continues to showcase its effective occupancy over disputed waters at sea. Surprisingly, unlike the Philippines’ previous president, Duterte, who tilted to China and lacked a clear South China Sea policy, Marcos seems strong-willed to adopt a decisive stance against China in areas that overlap with the Philippines’ waters through the utilization of coast guards (white hulls). This article questions why the Marcos administration decided to empower the Philippines coast guard and investigates how it is strategically utilized in disputed waters. The study is an empirical explanatory research utilizing secondary data attained from the Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative between 2021 and 2023, with the following findings: (1) the Philippines empowered white hulls to function as ‘mini-navies’ and (2) rapprochement to the US and Japan as precautionary measures to possible future conflicts. The strategic advantage of using coast guards as an alternative to navies is twofold: (1) the capacity to generate limited coercive effects yet maintain a decisive stance, and (2) tactical flexibility that allows it to produce non-escalatory outcomes.

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Getting hedging right: a small-state perspective

Cited by 51 publications

References 30 publications

Struggle for coalition‐building: Japan, South Korea, and the Indo‐Pacific

Struggle for coalition‐building: Japan, South Korea, and the Indo‐Pacific

The changing dynamics of China-Myanmar relations post the Military Coup - From Hedging to Bandwagoning?

The Golden Age of White Hulls: Deciphering the Philippines’ Maritime Diplomatic Strategies in the South China Sea

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