How Do South Asiaʼs the Small States Behave in the Rise of Asiaʼs Power(s)?

Samimuzzaman

[SUMMARY] According to traditional structural theories, specially neorealism, small states are not influential actors in the international or regional political system. On the contrary, neoliberalist theories based on international institutions, democratic value, or interdependence also do not appropriately adjust in many regions, particularly in South Asia. South Asian countries are still struggling to attain ideal democratic institutions or effective regional organizations. As neither of the large schools of thought satisfactorily explains the behaviors of the South Asian small states, while both China and India are playing hegemonic roles there. Taking that into account, this research argues how South Asian small states should be observed in order to discover a more appropriate way to explain their behavior. To achieve the aim, this research attempts to identify how the small states in South Asia justify the most suitable standard and, secondly, analyzes conventional thoughts of countriesʼ external behavior that leads to discovering the behaviors of South Asian small countries. Finally, this study finds that both China and India cherish the high ambition to become regional hegemonic power that poses the perennial threat of conflict and shapes the region into a bipolar kind of structure which results in more chances for the small countries of South Asia to behave in a more diversified way rather than just to become either bandwagon or the part of the balance of power.

https://opac.ll.chiba-u.jp/da/curator/900120395/

https://opac.ll.chiba-u.jp/da/curator/900120395/S18814859-18-1-P135.pdf

千葉大学公共学会

Chiba University. Association for Studies on Public Affairs

Departmental Bulletin Paper

18814859

AA12002541

公共研究 = Journal on public affairs

18

1

135

160

2022-03-31

10.20776/S18814859-18-1-P135

eng

publisher

Journal on public affairs