Uncovering Variations and Course Corrections in Southeast Asia-India Security Relations in the 21st Century

: A Neoclassical Realist Assessment

Abstract

My research has uncovered the inconsistencies in the way Southeast Asian states have applied the traditional framework of hedging and dominance-denial in incorporating India as a security partner in the twenty-first century. Faced with the shared immediate and uncertain structural challenges brought by the United States (US) and China power dynamics, Southeast Asian states are expected to maximize their security and economic interests by forging functional and close relations with as many materially capable states in the system to ensure that no single power can dominate the region. This concept of dominance denial falls within the structure-oriented framework of hedging, which assumes that less powerful states will act based on insurance-seeking, risk-averse and utility-maximizing behavior to survive in the anarchic system. This approach also places primary emphasis on the structure and relative distribution of power that characterizes it. While much of the existing literature on Southeast Asia-India security relations uses this framework to explain the state of contemporary ties, my research found that throughout the turn of the century, Southeast Asian states have applied this framework selectively to the point of temporarily ignoring the traditional logic of hedging and dominance-denial. These variations occurred when domestic perception outweighed the logic of structure, even if it meant compromising their survival and utility-maximizing interests. Nevertheless, my research also showed that such lapses are temporary, especially as structural pressures intensify. In doing so, my research’s novel empirical contributions have validated the significance and application of neoclassical realism in the region.

Date of Award	19 Jun 2026
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Portsmouth
Supervisor	David Norman (Supervisor) & Ed Stoddard (Supervisor)