Friends In Great Power Competition: Refining Partnership Efforts To Complete With China
Abstract
Partnerships with foreign security forces is one significant military activity that contributes to attaining strategic objectives in great power competition. Military planners and practitioners may refine their understanding of how to create and sustain effective partnerships through this studys three-component partnership framework consisting of willingness, capability, and effects. The partnership framework draws from principal-agent theory to illuminate how to influence a potential partners interests, business partnership literature to improve a partners capability, and deterrence theory to understand effects on the rival. This study develops and then illustrates the framework through three historical cases that focus on China as a near-peer rival in East Asia; however, the possible applications are broad. The partnership framework provides insights on what traits in a partner are important, what actions the United States should take to develop a partnership, and unique aspects of Chinas responses to U.S. partnerships. This topic is essential because it is a critical component of the military effort in great power competition and one that could use improvement. U.S. partnerships can also significantly impact local political environments; military planners and practitioners owe it to those partner nations and to the United States to make calculated and deliberate decisions on partnerships.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1114638
Entities
People
- Jason R Carminati
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School