The Logic of Networking US Asia-Pacific Security Architecture:A Study Based on Inferential Social Network Analysis
After the Cold War,the US security architecture in the Asia-Pacific has con-sistently been in the process of networking.This architecture relies on US power projection as its foundation,pivots on their allies and key partners,and is framed by security institu-tions to promote a series of strategic coordination,security cooperation,and military de-ployments to serve US regional strategies.An examination of the spatio-temporal evolution of the US Asia-Pacific security architecture by using inferential social network analysis reveals that the mismatch between the US hegemonic protection needs and the alliance order main-tenance function is a precondition for this networking process.The dominant factors influen-cing network evolution are priority connections,strengthened connections,and network transmission effects at the national,bilateral,and structural levels.Under the influence of network effects,countries with significant social power are more likely to establish security cooperation with others;countries with deep mutual cooperation foundations are more likely to form new partnerships;and the deepening of security ties between two countries is influ-enced by a third party,tending towards choices that also maintain security relationships with this third party.The composite networking of the US Asia-Pacific security architecture manifests as a fragmented vertical network structure in the long term.This trend,based on the distribution of social power,dominated by bilateral security institutions,supplemented by selective multilateralism,and aimed at enhancing institutional density and depth as di-rections for institutional expansion,draws more security network resources through general-ized geographical spaces.The essence of the US-China strategic competition lies in the com-petition for network centrality,and thus China needs to rely on high-quality partnerships to promote the formation of an inclusive regional security architecture.
US Asia-Pacific security architecturealliance transformationsecurity in-stitutionsnetwork effectsinferential social network analysis
NETL
NSTL
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