In the international political arena, the alliance strategy has been a focus of research. Alliances, or alliances, are relations of cooperation between two or more states for common purposes and interests. This relationship involves not only security matters, but also a wide range of economic, political and other dimensions. When studying the alliance's strategy, the international political profession needs to conduct in-depth analysis from multiple perspectives to ensure its comprehensiveness and effectiveness。
I. Theoretical basis of the alliance strategy
The theoretical basis of the alliance's strategy consists mainly of the currents of realism, liberalism and constructionism。
Realism:
Realism holds that national alliances are primarily aimed at addressing security threats and pursuing a balance of power and security. The traditional realist alliance theory, which considers power as the main analytical variable, is based on the doctrine of “balance of power” and “coalition as an enabler of power” as a tool of balance of power. Hans morganso, in his book political interstate, elaborated on the relationship between the theory of alliances and the theory of balance, which he considered to be an effective tool for maintaining balance of power or the distribution of power between states or groups of states, and which was an essential function of the balance of power under a multi-tiered system。
New realism, on the other hand, has been optimized on the basis of the traditional realist alliance theory, which has been made more systematic and empirical by using “threats” and “interests” as the main variables, respectively, to introduce “threat balance” and “benefit balance”. In his study, stephen walter pointed out that combined power, geographical proximity, offensive power and aggressive intent can have a decisive impact on states ' judgement of threats and, in turn, on how they choose allies and form coalitions。
Liberalism:
Liberalism emphasizes the important role of economic factors in the formation of alliances. It believed that the common interests of states were preserved through economic cooperation and institutional arrangements, thus forging alliances. For example, the united states has developed close economic cooperation with its key allies, japan and south korea, which not only enhances the security of both sides, but also contributes to the common prosperity of the economy。
Constructiveism:
Constructiveism focuses on the influence of cultural, conceptual and identity factors on the formation of alliances. It believed that a common identity and vision could foster cooperation and alliances among states. Since the biden administration, for example, attempts have been made to promote a system of alliances linked to democratic values, aimed at enhancing cohesion within the coalition, engaging more allies in counterbalancing china, gaining more domestic support and raising america’s soft power。
Ii. Research content of the alliance strategy
In its study of the alliance's strategy, the international political profession needs to conduct in-depth analysis from multiple perspectives to ensure its comprehensiveness and effectiveness。
The formation and collapse of alliances:
The formation of alliances is driven by external factors, such as the existence of common external threats in the countries concerned or the lack of security resulting from an uneven distribution of power among countries. However, if the alliance were to be seen as a mechanism for international security cooperation, it would be possible to expand the study of existing problems, such as the formation of alliances, and give more interpretative answers. In addition to external factors, such as security threats, internal factors, such as internal military forces and military structures, and the reputation of the state, can affect the process and outcome of coalition formation。
The alliance is not a state-calling and exhausting foreign policy option, but rather a mechanism with specific cooperation provisions and continuity. Such a mechanism would not only provide security gains for member states but also reduce the cost of information access and exchange among allies and respond to new and emerging challenges. Thus, the weakening or disappearance of external threats does not necessarily mean the collapse of the foundations of the alliance, which can sustain cooperation by transforming its mechanisms。
Internal management of the alliance:
The conclusion of an alliance or the destruction of a pact are instruments by which states realize their interests, and the alliance itself is not a priori. The conditions under which states choose alliance strategies or refuse to comply with the covenant are at the heart of the strategic study of the alliance. From the perspective of the international machinery, the alliance is itself a special type of inter-state cooperation based on a voluntary contract of cooperation that takes the form of a mechanism of security and economic cooperation that is either high or low。
Traditionally, the union’s internal organizational relationship has been reduced to the dilemma of being “rejected – implicated,” where the strong fear that they will be exploited by the weak to achieve their own interests, while the weak fear that the powerful will abandon their allies at no cost. However, as the international political environment changes, the union's internal relations are also evolving and need more detailed and in-depth research。
How to deal with coalition pressure:
The alliance, as a security strategy, needs to address the adverse effects of the alliance if it is used by its counterparty and places security pressure on its side. In theory, the most effective way to deal with alliances is to build a system of relative alliances and to reduce security pressures by forming new alliances. However, as coalition political practices develop, new ways of responding to the pressures of hostile alliances emerge, such as through the strategy of fragmentation, the dismantling of rival alliances, or the mitigation of pressures through the creation of a coalition front, informal alliances or “quasi alliances”。
Institutional design of the alliance:
Since its inception, the alliance has faced the challenge of ensuring that mechanisms are effective. In an anarchic world, security agreements reached by sovereign states are not fully binding, and coalition members face the risk of losing the alliance in the face of security challenges. The principle behind the coalition mechanism is to increase the cost of ally betrayal while reducing the risk-taking potential of members. Existing research has shown that the cooperation modalities of alliances between countries are based primarily on the dimensions of power structure, national reputation, type of threat, etc., and the selection of alliance members is based primarily on enhancing the effectiveness of the alliance。
Practical application of the alliance strategy
In the united states, for example, its strategic alliance practice in international politics is broadly representative and instructive。
United states of america, korea:
The united states-japan-korean alliance is one of the most influential bilateral alliances in the post-cold-war league system. Both alliances are an important strategic anchor for the united states in the asian region. In selecting coalition partners, the united states has focused on the geopolitical importance of partner countries, economic power, military power and the compatibility of cultural values. In setting the goals of the alliance, the united states usually pursues its own national interests, including security interests, economic interests and political interests。
The united states ensures that its own security interests in the asian region are safeguarded through a common defence treaty and security assurances. At the same time, through economic cooperation and technical exchanges, the united states has been able to preserve and expand its economic interests. In the way the alliance stands, the united states has adopted a “carrot and stick” strategy, both to increase the dependency and loyalty of alliance partners through the provision of security, economic assistance and technical support, and to ensure that alliance partners are aligned with them on key issues through pressure and even sanctions。
The biden government's values alliance strategy:
Since the biden government came to power, attempts have been made to promote a system of alliances linked to democratic values aimed at enhancing cohesion within the coalition, engaging more allies in counterbalancing china, gaining more domestic support, and raising america’s soft power. The biden government implements the strategic goals of the values alliance through a variety of paths, including the formation of small-group “simplistic multilateralism” based on values, the formation of a pluralistic and stereoistic system of alliances linked to values, the intervention of values as a means to pressure and stigmatize competitors, and the building of a consensus on domestic cooperation based on values as a mobilization strategy。
However, the biden government's values alliance strategy also faces some challenges. On the one hand, the divergence of interests within the alliance could lead to a difficult strategic focus; on the other hand, domestic political and economic factors could also constrain the effective implementation of the strategy. The biden government therefore needs to continuously adapt its coalition strategy to the changing international situation。
Iv. Feasibility analysis of the chinese alliance strategy
With china's increasing power, china's place in international politics has become increasingly important. The question of whether china should adopt an alliance strategy in the face of siege and containment in countries such as the united states was a matter of great concern。
On the one hand, realistic power politics remains outdated and states continue to act as the basic norm for the foreseeable future. Deepening and expanding the network of alliances around china is an important part of the us strategy to block china, and china does not have an effective strategic tool against it. Some therefore believe that china should adopt an alliance strategy to address external threats and challenges。
On the other hand, the champions of the non-aligned strategy have tried to promote the legitimacy and necessity of the non-aligned strategy. They believed that china should maintain an independent foreign policy and not be dependent on any major power or group. To enhance its international standing and influence by strengthening friendly and cooperative relations with other countries。
Indeed, whether or not china adopted an alliance strategy required a combination of factors. On the one hand, it is important to see the severity and complexity of the external environment; on the other hand, it is necessary to take into account china's own national interests and development needs. There was a need to balance the advantages and disadvantages in the decision-making process and to make choices that were in line with china's realities and long-term interests。
Concluding remarks
The alliance strategy in international politics is a complex and important research area. Through an in-depth analysis of the theoretical basis, research content and practical application of the alliance's strategy, we can better understand how nations pursue their strategic goals through alliances. In future research, we need to continue to focus on changes in the international political environment and trends in the alliance's strategy to provide more comprehensive and in-depth insights。
As hans morganso put it: “the alliance is one of the central phenomena in international politics, which reflects the complex relationship of balance of power and coordination of interests among nations.” through continuous in-depth study and exploration of the essence and patterns of the alliance's strategy, we can better understand the operational mechanisms and trends of international politics and provide a more scientific and rational basis for national foreign policy formulation。
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