1st Edition
Asian Perceptions of Gulf Security
Gulf stability is coming to play a larger role in the foreign policy calculus of many states, but the evolving role of Asian powers is largely under-represented in the International Relations literature. This volume addresses this gap with a set of empirically rich, theory driven case studies written by academics from or based in the countries in question. The underlying assumption is not that Asian powers have already become important security actors in the Gulf, but rather that they perceive the Gulf as a region of increasing strategic relevance. How will leaders in these countries adjust to an evolving regional framework? Will there be coordinated efforts to establish an Asian-centered approach to Gulf stability, or will Asian rivalries make the region a theater of competition? Will US–China tensions force alignment choices among Asian powers? Will Asian states balance, bandwagon, hedge, or adopt some other approach to their Gulf relationships? These questions become even more important as the western boundaries of Asia increasingly come to incorporate the Middle East. The book will appeal to scholars and students in the fields of International Relations, Security Studies, and International Political Economy, as well as area specialists on the Gulf and those working on foreign policy issues on each of the Asian countries included. Professionals in government and non-government agencies will also find it very useful.
The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.
1.Introduction
Li-Chen Sim and Jonathan Fulton
2.Asian Powers and a Transitioning Gulf Order
Jonathan Fulton
3.China’s ‘Zero-Enemy Policy’ in the Gulf: Dynamics and Tactics
Degang Sun
4.Japan’s Role in Gulf Security
Yee-Kuang Heng
5.(De)securitization Narratives Behind the Independent Deployment of the Cheonghae Unit to the Strait of Hormuz
Hae Won Jeong
6.The Strategic Culture in Singapore: Impact on Relations with the Gulf
Li-Chen Sim
7.India in the Gulf: Multialignment in the Shadow of Regional (In)security
Md. Muddassir Quamar
8.Pakistan’s Political and Security Engagement with the Gulf Countries
Umer Karim
9.Asia in an Emerging Gulf Collective Security Framework
N. Janardhan
Biography
Li-Chen Sim is Assistant Professor, Institute of Civil and International Security at Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Jonathan Fulton is Assistant Professor of Political Science in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
While the ‘Asianisation of Asia’ continues to spread roots and deepen pan-Asian relations along the axes of energy cooperation, security partnership, trade and investment, and people-to-people exchanges, little concrete and theoretically informed attention has been paid to wider Asian perceptions of West Asia. This magnificent volume is rectifying this and has given us a detailed and well-informed understanding of the key Asian countries’ relations with their West Asian counterparts and the security concerns which underpin their policies.Prof Anoush Ehteshami, Durham University
As policy and academic interest for Gulf-Asian relations has been on the rise, the project led by Li-Chen Sim and Jonathan Fulton comes at a critical time. The angle of their research and the questions addressed in the country-specific case studies will bring new perspectives to a field that has been lacking Asian views - be it from China, Japan, Korea, or Singapore - on the Gulf. The background of the eight contributors should ensure the rigor of the scholarship. At the same, the variety of their nationalities is a good indicator of the diversity of views.
Jean-Loup Samaan, Ph.D, Senior Research Fellow, Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore
