The Liberal International Order in the Indo-Pacific in the midst of U.S.-China Hegemonic Competition: Challenges and Prospects (2021.04)
- Author: Lee Shin-wha , Park Jae Jeok
- Publication : Journal of International Area Studies
- Publisher : Center for International Area Studies
- Volume : 25(2)
- Date : April 2021
Abstract: The U.S.-China relationship is exacerbating into an all-round competition as their zero-sum “frame competition” over global hegemonic influence. Both big powers put forward multilateralism, which originally aims at pursuing the common good of the international community, not individual national interests. But in reality, they are competing against each other to bring more countries to their side. Biden’s multilateralist strategy to restore the U.S.-led liberal international order(LIO) is exclusive to countries that do not participate in the multilateral democratic alliance as it aims for anti-China solidarity with democracies. China has been actively expanding its influence in multilateral organizations through financial and human contribution, but Chinese-style multilateralism is criticized for being a rhetoric to ignore international laws and norms and forcefully carry out its national interests.
As the U.S.-China hegemony competition is getting fierce, small and medium-sized countries are in a strategic dilemma of choosing between them. ‘Minilateral’ cooperation at the regional level is also likely to turn into a venue for a clash of geopolitical competitions between the U.S. and China rather than functioning as a mechanism that supports the LIO in the Indo-Pacific region. As a result, the middle power diplomacy (despite various limitations) is drawing attention. After all, the future of the U.S.-led LIO, challenged by China’s rise, the relative decline of U.S. hegemony, and the U.S.-China strategic competition, will depend on whether the U.S. has the ability and will to continue to provide global public goods, and whether the international community, centered on middle power countries in the region, will provide support or solidarity for U.S. leadership.