The Strategic Choice Of A Medium-Sized Power

In the field of international security, scholarly research on the role of great powers is fruitful; even the role of small powers and their influence has invoked much attention. However, the study of the role of the medium-sized powers is scanty. How a medium-sized power, in a rising stage, defines its strategic interest? Or how a medium-sized power makes its strategic decision concerning middle term and long-term development? Existing literature on these topics is hardly sophisticated or satisfactory. A nation-state's strategic choice is usually approached from four perspectives: equilibriums, geopolitics, geo-economics and strategic culture. Yet, their respective role in explaining state behaviors, concerning the strategic choice of medium-sized powers, is limited.Caught between an established power and a rising power, a medium-sized power usually faces three choices: a. to bandwagon, that is, to ally with the most powerful status quo power; b. to ally with the rising power so as to restore the balance of power in the present international system; c. to pursue flexible and independent strategy. The theoretical hypothesis of this dissertation is as follows:The strategic choice of a medium-sized power is conditioned by four independent variables. They include: the balance of power, geopolitical situation, geo-economic forces, and the strategic culture. The four factors collectively decide the strategic choice of a medium-sized power instead of separately.To test the above-mentioned hypothesis, I take Japan as an example. On the basis of recently declassified archival material in the US and Japan, this author finds that Japan's strategic choice to ally with the United States since World War II has been decided collectively by the four factors. According to this framework of analysis, Japan, as a medium-sized power, may decide to return to the origin of its culture and history, to reconcile and establish strategic partnership with china, a rising power.With this in-depth case study on Japan's strategic choices, I draw this conclusion: a. the strategic choice of a medium-sized power is determined by...