 EAI MPDI Working Paper No. 1 |
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In the first working paper of its Middle Power Diplomacy Initiative (MPDI), EAI has published See Seng Tan's "Facilitating China-U.S. Relations in the Age of Rebalancing: ASEAN's 'Middle Power' Diplomacy." Dr. Tan, an associate professor of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, explores ASEAN's historical and contemporary role in guiding the U.S. and China toward peaceful strategic competition with each other, if not outright cooperation. Furthermore, he argues that the utility of ASEAN's facilitator role has diminished in recent years when faced with rising tensions caused by the U.S. "rebalancing" toward Asia and territorial disputes in the South China Sea, in addition to cleavages among ASEAN member states resulting from diverging perceptions and perspectives. Supported by the MacArthur Foundation, MPDI strives to: 1) Identify middle powers; 2) Explore issues for a middle power network collaboration to enhance U.S.-China cooperation; and 3) Facilitate the formation of a middle power network among U.S. allies without triggering China's strategic backlash.
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