Can Small States Overturn the Negotiating Table? A Case Study of Malaysia's Agency Vis‐À‐Vis China in the ECRL Project
Dados Bibliográficos
| ID | 12979720 |
|---|---|
| Autores | Pei May Lee (0000-0002-6552-7781, International Islamic College, autor correspondente), Chun-Yi Lee (0000-0002-2804-0659, School of Politics and International Relations University of Nottingham Nottingham United Kingdom), Chun‐yi Lee (0000-0002-4680-4800, University of Nottingham, autor correspondente), Zhe Wei Lau (International Islamic College) |
| Ano | 2026 |
| Volume | 18 |
| Fascículo | 2 |
| Data de publicação | 2026-04-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Sim |
| Open Access | Sim |
| Tipo | ARTICLE |
| Periódico | Asian Politics & Policy (JOURNAL) |
| Identificadores do periódico | ISSN: 1943-0787 • E-ISSN: 1943-0779 |
| Editora | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/aspp.70075 |
| OpenAlex | W7150806149 |
| Idioma | EN |
| Referências citadas | 29 |
Conventional wisdom argues that more powerful states inevitably dictate the foreign policy of small states, but there is a growing body of evidence that suggests otherwise. This paper argues that small states, like Malaysia, can still exercise agency when interacting with bigger states. Using the renegotiation of the East Coast Railway Link (ECRL) as a case study, this paper examines how Malaysia exercises its agency and elucidates several factors that increased Malaysia's bargaining power. First, Malaysia holds intrinsic value for China. Second, the ECRL's status as a key project in China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) lends it wider geopolitical significance. Third, the purpose of the ECRL as an alternative trade route creates a significant ongoing economic imperative for China to see the project concluded successfully. Furthermore, Malaysia's ability to cultivate positive relationships with other major powers through the adept political leadership of Mahathir increases the country's leverage
Agency (philosophy · China · Foreign policy · Geopolitics · Negotiation · Politics · Belt and Road Initiative · International Relations and Foreign Policy · Maritime Security and History
External behavior of small states in light of theories of international relations
Power in International Negotiations
Studying Small States
Laos-China infrastructure cooperation
A critical look at Chinese ‘debt-trap diplomacy’
Making Sense of Malaysia's China Policy
Small States, Great Power? Gaining Influence Through Intrinsic, Derivative, and Collective Power
Negotiation and Identity
The Political Economy of a Rising China in Southeast Asia
China–Japan Compete for Infrastructure Investment in Southeast Asia
China’s Maritime Silk Road and Small States
Structural sources of Malaysia's South China Sea policy
Power asymmetry and threat points
Opportunities and limitations of the exercise of foreign policy power by a very small state
Small States in the European Union
Small states and competing connectivity strategies
Norm-making, norm-taking or norm-shifting? A case study of Sino–Japanese competition in the Jakarta–Bandung high-speed rail project
The Concept of Small States in the International Political Economy
Small states in EU negotiations
The Foreign Policy of the Dependent State
Malaysia's strategic approach
Malaysian conceptions of international order
| Velocidade de citação | historical |
|---|---|
| Altamente citado | Não |