US’ Interest Shifting as a Response to China’s Move in Cuba

Abstract

This paper discusses why the United States changed his foreign policy toward Cuba under the leadership of Barack Obama. The United States normalized its relations with Cuba, which were very troubled previously, during the Obama administration. Martha Finnemore's concept of the national interest is applied to explain why the behavior of the state is very dependent on the country's interaction with its environment to promote its national interest. The state as a foreign policy actor remains a major political unit in the international relations system, although non-state actors have increasingly important roles in international relations. This paper tries to understand the factors underlying the U.S. government shift in policy toward Cuba by using variables based upon the values, norms, and goals of the United States. The results of the analysis indicate that U.S. economic interests require protection from China's proximity to Cuba.