CURIOUS CASE OF NORTHEAST ASIA: EXTERNAL BALANCING MEETS STRATEGIC CULTURE

KOPANJA Mihajlo (Research Assistant, Institute of International Politics and economics, Belgrade), mihajlo.kopanja@diplomacy.bg.ac.rs

This paper analyzes the situation in Northeast Asia from the perspective of the rise of power of China in recent decades and the reaction of China`s neighbors Japan and South Korea. Following the propositions of the balance-ofpower theory, mainly envisioned through the neorealist paradigm, there exists a discrepancy in the expected reaction of Japan and South Korea to the Chinese rise. Because of China`s relative superiority in power over Japan and South Korea, the balance-of-power theory posits that the two states would pursue a strategy of external balancing by aligning themselves in order to be able to counteract the Chinese rise in power. Yet, there have been no signs of Japan and South Korea pursuing such a strategy. on the contrary, a series of disputes between the two states in the past couple of years point to Japan and South Korea getting further away from each other. By employing the neoclassical realist approach, this paper argues that historical animosity between Japan and South Korea stretching back to the early twentieth century, shaped their strategic culture in a way that is hindering Japan and South Korea to make the strategic choice to balance externally.

Keywords: Northeast Asia, China, Japan, South Korea, balance-of-power, external balancing, strategic culture, neoclassical realism