Velvet Fists: The Paradox of Defence Diplomacy in Southeast Asia

Abstract

Defence diplomacy represents a notable paradox. On the one hand, it is a cooperative activity to build strategic and moralistic trust between states and thus positively shape the environment in which foreign policy is made. On the other hand, defence diplomacy also involves competition and demonstrations of military power, which may contravene its goal of building moralistic trust and undermine confidence between states. This article deals with the latter competitive realpolitik elements of defence diplomacy in terms of secrecy, swaggering and shows of force that have largely been ignored in the literature. Building on a theoretical discussion of whether defence diplomacy works, the case of peacekeeping in Southeast Asia is analysed to illustrate how defence diplomatic activities produce effects contrary to their stated aims.

Full text

Velvet Fists: The Paradox of Defence Diplomacy in Southeast Asia
Jun Yan Chang Nicole Jenne
S. Rajaratnam School of International
Studies Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Nanyang Technological University Institute of Political Science
Singapore Santiago, Chile
isjychang@ntu.edu.sg njenne@uc.cl
Abstract: Defence diplomacy represents a notable paradox. On the one hand, it is a
cooperative activity to build strategic and moralistic trust between states and thus
positively shape the environment in which foreign policy is made. On the other hand,
defence diplomacy also involves competition and demonstrations of military power,
which may contravene its goal of building moralistic trust and undermine confidence
between states. This article deals with the latter competitive realpolitik elements of
defence diplomacy in terms of secrecy, swaggering and shows of force that have
largely been ignored in the literature. Building on a theoretical discussion of whether
defence diplomacy works, the case of peacekeeping in Southeast Asia is analysed to
illustrate how defence diplomatic activities produce effects contrary to their stated
aims.
Keywords: defence diplomacy, military diplomacy, Southeast Asia, peacekeeping
Article forthcoming in the “European Journal of International Security” [accepted 28
July 2020].