Thailand's Hedging Strategy in the Us-China Competition

Abstract

Since the end of the Cold War, The US and Thailand have seemed headed for a more strained and distant relationship. For this reason, China has become more interested in deepening cooperation. Following the 2006 and 2014 military coups, the US government has decided to cut military aid to Thailand and publicly criticized the military regimes. China has not deviated markedly from its traditional foreign policy approach towards Thailand. Under the leadership of military regimes, the country adopts hedging strategies in order to maintain domestic stability, to promote inclusive economic growth, to maneuver through the changing geopolitical environment around its peripheries, and to keep more support for pro-China and pro-U.S orientation. This article addresses the US- China rivalry from the hedging strategy of Thailand , as opposed to the concept of more traditional balancing and bandwagoning. It examines why and how, despite the tensions of the US- China rivalry, Thailand has pursued a hedging strategy towards China.