🕊️Last but not least, in memory of Johan Galtung (1930-2024), I’m grateful that this piece, which builds on his structural theory of dominance and liberation, has found a home at the Journal of Peace Research and Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) — the journal and institute he founded.
🔎Key finding: Using network analysis and descriptive statistics, I show that over the past two decades, U.S. allies — including those with maritime disputes with rising China — have expanded exercises with Beijing while maintaining cooperation with Washington and regional peers.
I also thank Cheng-Chwee Kuik, JĂĽrgen Haacke, and James J. Wirtz for their valuable feedback.
đź—ŁI argue that secondary states pursue 3 network strategies to mitigate vulnerability to great-power coercion and to enhance relational leverage and access to information and resources: 1) Vertical diversification with great powers; 2) Horizontal diversification with peers, and 3) Bridging.
đź“ŠThis research, the construction of the dataset, would not have been possible without the generous funding & research support of StandTogether @aparc.stanford.edu @global-wm.bsky.social @usccis.bsky.social, the guidance of postdoc mentors Gi-Wook Shin @miketierneyir.bsky.social, and help of my RAs.
đź“ťI would also like to thank those who served as discussants at various workshops where this paper was presented: Steve E. Miller @himself.bsky.social, Brandon Kinne, Daryl Press, @tomlongphd.bsky.social, Stacie Goddard, @moritz-graefrath.com, and Rachel Metz.