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

The strategic rivalry between the US and China has heightened since COVID-19, making it difficult for secondary states to maintain a hedging strategy. This Element introduces a preference-for-change model to explain policy variations during the order transition, suggesting that policymakers will perceive a potential change in the international order through a cost-benefit prism. Four case studies explore the policy choices of regional powers.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 75 pages
Publication date: 05 October 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

The intense strategic rivalry between the United States and China has escalated significantly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary states, in particular, are finding it increasingly challenging to navigate a hedging strategy that balances their interests between these two superpowers. This Element presents a preference-for-change model to elucidate the policy variations observed by states during the transition of international orders. According to this model, policymakers assess potential changes in the global landscape through a cost-benefit prism, considering the potential costs and benefits associated with such transitions. The interplay between these perceived costs and benefits shapes states' policy choices among four strategic options: hedging, bandwagoning with rising powers, balancing against rising powers, and buck-passing. To explore these policy choices in greater detail, four case studies (Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Thailand) are conducted. These case studies provide valuable insights into the strategies adopted by regional powers as they navigate the complex dynamics of the international order transition. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core, allowing scholars and researchers worldwide to access and engage with the research.

Weight: 128g
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 7 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781009420587