Abstract

NAHUEL RUBBI, Lautaro  and  MARTINEZ SCHANDELER, Evelin. A question of threat: The influence of domestic factors on the behavior of Vietnam and Malaysia in the face of the rise of Chinese military power. Relac. Int. [online]. 2020, vol.93, n.2, pp.63-90. ISSN 2215-4582.  http://dx.doi.org/10.15359/ri.93-2.3.

In recent decades, China increased its power greatly, both in economic and military terms. However, the response from the actors in the region was not homogeneous; while some of them appeal to balance of power and increase their capabilities, others avoid this behavior. Between 2013 and 2018, Vietnam continuously increased its military expenditure, while Malaysia even decreased its own, representing an important question for Structural Realism. Through a comparative study between the two cases, it is concluded that Neoclassical Realism offers a better explanation of the events, incorporating government and societies’ beliefs and perceptions into the analysis. In these cases, each State domestic variables shaped the actions of their governing authorities and played a central role in the perception of China as a threat and the consistent response strategy to its rise.

Keywords : China; Vietnam; Malaysia; Balance of power; Neoclassical Realism; Government’s perception.

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