The Navigating Strategies of Middle Powers in an Era of Great Power Rivalry: Drawing Strategic Lessons from Japan, India and Indonesia

Abstract

We are living in an era of heightened great power rivalry whereby every state of the world is being affected, including Ethiopia. The Sino-US rivalry is becoming more apparent in regions like the Asia-Pacific so that states in this region pursue different navigating strategies that best serve their national interests. Given the difference in relative power of states, be it great power, middle power and small power, all states in the Asia-Pacific region have diverse foreign policy orientations. Thus, this study is aimed at identifying the strategies of selected middle power states, Japan, India and Indonesia, and drawing some strategic lessons relevant to Ethiopia. The study utilized qualitative methods such as key informant interviews and document analysis to collect data. Through thematic analysis, the researcher identified the main strategies of the selected cases. In the mounting Sino-US rivalry, three navigating strategies are identified. These are the bandwagon strategy of Japan, the issue-based engagement of India, and the balancing strategy of Indonesia.