Examining the Cohesion of the U.S. Indo- Pacific Strategy Layout: 
A Perspective on Military Security Cooperation (2016-2024)

Ruei-lin Yu
(Associate Professor, Graduate Institute of Strategic Studies,
National Defense University)
Hung-yi Huang
(Master, Graduate Institute of Strategic Studies,
National Defense University)

Abstract

The United States’ ability to achieve its Indo-Pacific strategy goals is closely related to the “cohesion” among its partners. From a constructivist perspective, this paper argues that the U.S. selects Indo-Pacific countries and assigns them military security cooperation “identities” to strengthen “cohesion” through shared recognition, thereby promoting Indo-Pacific strategic cooperation. Based on official U.S. reports, this paper identifies the countries involved in the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy and categorizes military security cooperation using four indicators: “security agreements,” “military exercises,” “military assistance,” and “military bases or deployments.” By assessing the strength of “cohesion” between the U.S. and these countries, the paper aims to present the overall posture of the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategic layout.

Keywords: Indo-Pacific Strategy, Military Security Cooperation, Constructivism, Cohesion, U.S.-Taiwan Relations
 

China’s Gray Zone Strategy in the Taiwan Strait:
Power Transition, Threat Perceptions, and Deterrence

Ling-hsuan Jao
(Master’s Student, Graduate Institute of National Development,
National Taiwan University)
Jiun-da Lin
(Assistant Professor, Graduate Institute of National Development,
National Taiwan University)
 

This paper explores why China, as a rising revisionist power, employs a gray zone strategy to challenge hegemonic powers. 

This paper analyzes the U.S.-China conflicts in the Taiwan Strait from a regional perspective. In recent years, China has frequently employed gray zone strategies, such as aerial incursions and economic control, to expand its power in the Asia-Pacific, particularly its influence over the Taiwan Strait. Therefore, this paper adopts Lemke’s Multiple Hierarchies Theory, and posits that China, in an attempt to maintain its status as a regional great power and demonstrate its capability to compete with the U.S., has chosen to employ gray zone strategies preemptively, blurring the lines between peace and conflict. The study uses discourse analysis to test this hypothesis and supports the argument by comparing two similar cases: Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in 2022 and Gina McCarthy’s visit in 2014.

The paper’s main finding is that China, in perceiving the U.S. threat, has considered the costs and benefits and opted to use gray zone strategies to counter U.S. actions, thereby preserving its regional dominance. This study provides an in-depth causal analysis of China’s use of gray zone strategies, while empirically filling gaps in the existing research on the Taiwan Strait by offering a new perspective on the U.S.-China conflict in the region.

Keywords: Gray Zone Strategy, Power Transition, Regional Dominant Power, Discourse Analysis, Case Comparison

National Reputation Factors in China’s Coercive Rights Protection in the South China Sea
 

Wei-hua Chen
(Associate Professor, Department of Public Security,
Central Police University)

Abstract

In the face of events involving sovereignty disputes, does China still value its national reputation amidst its coercive actions? Over the past two decades, on the South China Sea issue, China has employed military force and economic punishment to compel neighboring countries to recognize its claimed territorial sovereignty, while also using economic incentives to persuade other countries to act in ways aligned with its interests. Since the issuance of the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award, a “legalization effect” stemming from the ruling under international law has gradually taken shape, significantly challenging China’s legal position. This is reflected in the public accusations by South China Sea claimant states and extra-regional countries, which criticize China for pursuing invalidated sovereignty claims. As a result, China has increasingly resorted to coercive measures to safeguard its rights, being perceived as a coercer that endangers regional security. This paper raises two research questions: First, how does China maintain its national reputation under coercive rights defense? Second, in the face of the legalization effect in the South China Sea, how and why does China engage in actions that violate international law, adopting different types of coercive measures? As a self-proclaimed responsible power, China faces a strategic tradeoff between national interests and international reputation. This study applies theories of reputation and international legal compliance to propose the concept of “international law cost” as an analytical lens to explain China’s coercive actions in the South China Sea.

Keywords: South China Sea Arbitration, National Reputation, Legalization of International Law, China’s Maritime Rights Defense, Coercive Diplomacy