Middle-Power Equities in a Cross-Strait Conflict / RAFIQ DOSSANI, CORTEZ A. COOPER III, JOAN CHANG.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dossani, Rafiq, 1954-

Contributor:

Cooper, Cortez A.

Chang, Joan

Rand Corporation. National Security Research Division.

Rand Corporation.

Series:

Research report (Rand Corporation) ; A3108-1.

Report ; A3108-1

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Taiwan--Foreign relations--China.

Taiwan.

China--Foreign relations--Taiwan.

China.

Taiwan Strait--Case studies.

Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan Strait--Strategic aspects.

Australia.

Canada.

Geopolitical Strategic Competition.

Japan.

Security Cooperation.

Threat Assessment.

United Kingdom.

Local Subjects:

Australia.

Canada.

Geopolitical Strategic Competition.

Japan.

Security Cooperation.

Taiwan.

Threat Assessment.

United Kingdom.

Physical Description:

x, 58 pages : illustrations ; 28 cm

Place of Publication:

Santa Monica, CA : RAND, 2024

Summary:

In this report, the authors explore the equities of four middle powers--Australia, Canada, Japan, and the United Kingdom--and the roles that they might play in deterring or limiting conflict between China and Taiwan over the Taiwan Strait. A country's equities are its long-term interests in a scenario, such as a cross-Strait conflict. Middle powers are nations that are not small but lack the sheer size and influence to significantly disrupt the global order. However, middle-power countries can influence international affairs through mediation and institution-building, and middle powers can also play a balancing role between adversarial great powers. The authors use four countries--Australia, Canada, Japan, and the United Kingdom--to conduct a case-study analysis on how middle powers perceive China's interests and their own nations' interests in a cross-Strait conflict. The authors held discussions with analysts and policymakers from each middle-power nation on such topics as whether these nations would support Taiwan in a cross-Strait conflict, the threats that China might perceive from these nations, and whether the respondents think that China would initiate a conflict with Taiwan. The authors supplemented these discussions with an open-source literature review on how middle powers have been defined historically to support their analysis of each middle power's equities in a potential cross-Strait conflict. Finally, the authors offer several recommendations for future middle-power strategies that might be useful to policymakers in Taiwan, the United States, and middle powers with a stake in the Asia-Pacific region.

Contents:

CHAPTER 1: Introduction

CHAPTER 2: Middle Powers: Origins, Sources of Power, and Roles

CHAPTER 3: Analysis of Four Middle-Power Countries

CHAPTER 4: Key Findings

CHAPTER 5: Recommendations

APPENDIX A: Country Selection Criteria and Process

APPENDIX B: Data Collection Protocol and Respondent Profile

APPENDIX C: Definitions of Middle Powers over Time.

Notes:

Title from PDF document (title page; viewed June 21, 2024)

"Sponsored by the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs"

"RAND NATIONAL SECURITY RESEARCH DIVISION"

Includes bibliographical references (pages 52-58)

Description from electronic resource

ISBN:

1977413447

9781977413444

OCLC:

1441778635