Smaller states in great power competition

Abstract

U.S.–China geostrategic competition has far-reaching consequences for international relations and domestic politics across Asia and the Pacific. Smaller states are not merely objects but also subjects of geostrategic rivalry. They demonstrate strategic responses with their own agency and interests. Despite the growing literature on great power competition, knowledge gaps about smaller states are evident. The diversity across the Asia-Pacific region suggests that a one-size-fits-all research approach to asymmetric relations between smaller states and great powers is not desirable. This Special Section, with an empirical focus on Southeast Asia and Oceania, seeks to enrich debates on the important yet often-neglected role of smaller states amid U.S.–China competition. It explores how smaller states perceive and respond to great power competition, and what are the implications for these countries and/or the regional order. The four articles in this Special Issue highlight vulnerabilities, opportunities, and resilience of smaller states in Oceania and Southeast Asia, as well as their perceptions of the two great powers.