Middle Powers and the Rise of China

China’s rise is changing the dynamics of the international system. Middle Powers and the Rise of China is the first work to examine how the group of states referred to as “middle powers” are responding to China’s growing economic, diplomatic, and military power. States with capabilities immediately below those of great powers, middle powers still exercise influence far above most other states. Their role as significant trading partners and allies or adversaries in matters of regional security, nuclear proliferation, and global governance issues such as human rights and climate change are reshaping international politics.

Contributors review middle-power relations with China in the cases of South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, South Africa, Turkey, and Brazil, addressing how these diverse nations are responding to a rising China, the impact of Chinese power on each, and whether these states are being attracted to China or deterred by its new power and assertiveness. Chapters also explore how much (or how little) China, and for comparison the US, value middle powers and examine whether or not middle powers can actually shape China’s behavior. By bringing a new analytic approach to a key issue in international politics, this unique treatment of emerging middle powers and the rise of China will interest scholars and students of international relations, security studies, China, and the diverse countries covered in the book.

Bruce Gilley is an associate professor of political science at the Mark Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University. He is the author of five books, including The Nature of Asian Politics, and has twice won the Canada International Council’s Cadieux Award for best article.

Andrew O’Neil is a professor in the School of Government and International Relations and director of the Asia Institute at Griffith University in Australia. He has been editor-in-chief of the Australian Journal of International Affairs; his most recent book is Asia, the US and Extended Nuclear Deterrence: Atomic Umbrellas in the Twenty-First Century.