Cote Blog 3

Brian Cote

Professor Shirk

POLS 170

23 March 2022

Blog 3

    In the text “Explaining Cooperation Under Anarchy: Hypotheses and Strategies”, the author, Kenneth Oye, goes into detail about how states need to alter their political strategy in order to achieve the best possible payoff structure. The actions of the People’s Republic of China in the past couple of weeks provide a perfect example of how a state chooses its foreign policy based on achieving the best possible payoff structure. For example, Russia recently sent a diplomatic mission to China to request military arms in order to help its war effort in its conflict against Ukraine. Theoretically, supporting a country (Russia) in a war against a country who is getting increasingly stronger ties with a direct competitor (United States) would be a very wise political move because if Russia were to succeed, it would indirectly negatively affect the United States, which would then benefit China. However, by sending weapons to Russia, the United States could, and likely would, perceive such actions as a direct threat and increase their “fear of exploitation” (Oye 10). Both options would overall benefit Chinese interests. However, it is important to explore the deeper aspects of aiding Russia. If the Chinese were to supply Russian troops, and if the United States were to act according to the writings of Oye, the Americans and potentially other N.A.T.O. allies would deploy their own troops near Chinese territory in order to “reduce its gains from exploitation and thereby render defensive defection by its partner less likely” (10). Such actions would benefit no party because the act of deploying troops is simply an escalation of tensions and of the war that is stemming from the Ukrainian-Russian conflict. No state wants to be perceived as weak, and the preconceptual notion of inaction is weakness in international politics is often why conflicts and violence arise in the first place. However, realizing that aiding Russia would likely provoke the United States, China has declined to send military aid to the Russians. The PRC sided with the United States, which has much more to offer, especially financially, that would provide them with the best possible payout for their people, which is better diplomatic relations with democracies and stable trade. However, it should be noted that Chinese advisors refuse to condemn Russia for their initiation of conflict, which is an indirect and subliminal way of China showing their support of the Russian state and their endeavors. Nevertheless, Oye’s idea of how a country should always try to choose whatever payout is best for their interests can most recently be shown through Chinese foreign policy towards the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.


https://www.newsweek.com/china-russia-military-equipment-ukraine-invasion-america-biden-warnings-xi-jinping-1689938


Oye, Kenneth. “Explaining Cooperation Under Anarchy: Hypotheses and Strategies” in 

Cooperation Under Anarchy, edited by Kenneth A. Oye. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1986, p. 1-24


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