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How Indonesia and Vietnam navigate coalitional networks in the Indo-Pacific
Date: Thursday 8th May 2025
Time: 13:15-14:30
Venue: FAB5.01, Faculty of Arts Building
This talk explores how two Southeast Asian middle powers, Indonesia and Vietnam, have responded to U.S. and China-led efforts to build coalitional hegemonies in the Indo-Pacific. Through the lens of network analysis, the article argues that while Indonesia and Vietnam have sought to enhance their positions in the coalitional networks that are being established by China and the United States, neither Jakarta nor Hanoi wants to be embedded exclusively in either network. The aim is to maximise their respective agency and level of autonomy in an era of China-U.S. rivalry, and avoid the worst-case scenario of being forced to choose between Washington and Beijing. Consequently, Indonesia and Vietnam have cautiously pursued greater social access in both networks while at the same time diversifying their alternative network options. Contrary to theoretical expectations, the two middle powers have been ambivalent in assuming brokerage roles in the China and U.S.-led networks. The analysis here contributes to the extant discussion on middle powers and networks—especially in the context of competing networks—as well as to the existing literature regarding Southeast Asian responses to China-U.S. rivalry. <br> <br>Ralf Emmers is Professor in International Politics of East Asia and Co-Chair of the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy (CISD) in the Department of Politics at SOAS University of London. His research interests cover security studies, international institutions in the Indo-Pacific, and the security and international politics of Southeast Asia. He was previously Dean of the Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) and President’s Chair in International Relations, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. <br> <br>Ralf completed his MSc and PhD in the International Relations Department of the London School of Economics (LSE). His authored books include Cooperative Security and the Balance of Power in ASEAN and the ARF (RoutledgeCurzon, 2003), Geopolitics and Maritime Territorial Disputes in East Asia (Routledge, 2010), Resource Management and Contested Territories in East Asia (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013) and Security Strategies of Middle Powers in the Asia Pacific co-written with Sarah Teo (Melbourne University Press, 2018). He is also the co-editor of the Oxford Handbook on Peaceful Change in International Relations (Oxford University Press, 2022). His research has been funded by the MacArthur Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Sasakawa Foundation, and the European Union. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University, Griffith University and Warwick University.
For a Teams invite, please contact the easg@warwick.ac.uk