| ID | 189048 |
| Title Proper | Southeast Asia under Great-Power Competition |
| Other Title Information | Public Opinion About Hedging in the Philippines |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Li, Xiaojun ; Fang, Songying ; Songying Fang |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Under pressure to choose between the U.S. and China, Southeast Asian countries have adopted a hedging strategy: deepening economic relations with China while strengthening security cooperation with the U.S. How does the region's public view this strategy? With tensions rising in South China Sea territorial disputes, are more nationalistic individuals more likely to oppose hedging? Using an original public opinion survey conducted in the Philippines, we find that while an overwhelming majority of respondents were concerned about the territorial disputes, more nationalistic Filipinos were no more concerned than less nationalistic ones. Further, more nationalistic Filipinos were more likely to view economic relations with China as important for the Philippines and to approve of Duterte's China policy, which follows the logic of hedging. These surprising findings suggest that under the shadow of great-power competition, the link between domestic politics and foreign policy is nuanced in the Philippines, and Southeast Asia in general. |
| `In' analytical Note | Journal of East Asian Studies Vol. 22, No.3; Nov 2022: p.481 - 501 |
| Journal Source | Journal of East Asian Studies Vol: 22 No 3 |
| Key Words | Nationalism ; Territorial Disputes ; Southeast Asia ; Hedging Strategy ; The Philippines ; US–China competition |