Asia-Pacific Secondary States as Kingmakers by Richard J. Coo... - 9781032843056

Asia-Pacific Secondary States as KingmakersAlignment Roles in the China-US Strategic Competition\nAuthor(s): Richard J. Cook, Maximilian Ohle, Zhaoying Han\nFormat: Hardback\nPublisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd, United Kingdom\nImprint: Routledge\nISBN-13: 9781032843056, 978-1032843056\nSynopsis\nFocusing on the Asia-Pacific region, Cook, Ohle and Han investigate the escalating strategic competition between China and the US. They explore the dynamics of key regional secondary states caught in the middle, namely Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Vietnam, emphasising their crucial role as potential kingmakers in the shifting balance of power.\n\nChina and the US are competing to win influence over these regional linchpins to advance their geopolitical ambitions and ultimately win the strategic competition. Elucidating a power of the weak paradox, this contribution examines the challenging choices faced by these secondary states as they navigate alignment pressures, which influenc.