Maximizing Autonomy: Myanmar and Its Hedging Strategies

Abstract

The concept of hedging—a middle strategic position between a traditional balancing and bandwagoning behavior that seeks multidimensional insurance under the circumstance of uncertainty—has been widely used and discussed in International Relations scholarship in describing secondary power states’ strategic behaviors against a major power. To date, the conceptualization of the term is extended to the study of
Southeast Asian nations’ strategic alignment, including Myanmar. As unprecedented stages of democratization took place in 2011, Myanmar welcomed former US President Barack Obama’s rebalancing policy toward Asia. That said, Myanmar displayed its strategic repositioning to avoid over-dependence on China and to seek insurance against its assertiveness, practicing hedging behavior. Nevertheless, hedging is firmly embedded in Myanmar’s past alignment behavior under the aspiration of neutralism. This research paper is to explore the development of Myanmar’s neutralism and to explain how hedging behaviors have been displayed since its independence in 1948. It argues that the underpinning rationale of Myanmar’s hedging behavior is to maximize its autonomy in its foreign policy choice for risk avoidance under systemic uncertainty and returns-seeking opportunity.