The Conference intends to review how dueling great powers (GPs) exercise their influence and how medium and small powers (MSPs) navigate under the hegemonic rivalry in Asia. In order to tackle this issue, we intends to look into three comparative aspects: how different interactions between GPs and MSPs compare with each other in contemporary Asia, how such GP-MSP interaction mode compare with pre-modern international relations in Asia, and how such mode compare with GP-MSP interactions in other regions (such as in Eastern Europe whether the main great power competitors are the US-led Europe and Russia).
In short, we have in mind three-dimensions of comparison: intraregional, historical, and cross-regional. We strongly believe comparisons of these sorts can contribute to our understanding of the global trends in action and development of IR theories that can better grasp the rapidly changing reality on the ground.
