After Hedging - Hard Choices for the Indo-Pacific States Between the Us and China

The strategic rivalry between the United States and China has heightened since COVID-19. Secondary states face increasing difficulties maintaining a 'hedging' strategy between the United States and China. This Element introduces a preference-for-change model to explain the policy variations of states during the order transition. It suggests that policymakers will perceive a potential change in the international order through a cost-benefit prism. The interplays between the perceived costs and the perception of benefits from the order transition will shape states' policy choices among four strategic options: (1) hedging to bet on uncertainties; (2) bandwagoning with rising powers to support changes; (3) balancing against rising powers to resist changes; and (4) buck-passing to ignore changes. Four case studies (Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Thailand) are conducted to explore the policy choices of regional powers during the international order transition. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

List of contents

Introduction; 1. International order transition and state policy choice; 2. Preference-for-change model: a neoclassical realist framework; 3. Singapore: hedging to cope with uncertainties; 4. Australia: balancing to resist change; 5. Thailand: bandwagoning to seek profit; 6. New Zealand: buck-passing to avoid risks; Conclusion; References.

Summary

This Element introduces a preference-for-change model to explain the policy variations of states during the order transition. It suggests that policymakers will perceive a potential change in the international order through a cost-benefit prism.This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Product details

• Authors: Huiyun Feng, Feng Huiyun, Kai He, Kai (Griffith University) Feng He, He Kai
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.10.2023
• EAN: 9781009420587
• ISBN: 978-1-0-0942058-7
• No. of pages: 75
• Series: Elements in International Relations
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > Contemporary history (1945 to 1989); Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; POLITICAL SCIENCE / International Relations / General, International Relations, Political activism, The Cold War, Cold wars and proxy conflicts, Political activism / Political engagement, Groupings linked by seas, Indo-Pacific