ABSTRACT
Alliances remain one of the most important features of Asia’s contemporary security architecture. They perform a dual function in the region by reassuring anxious small and medium sized states they have a major power ‘safety net’ should their security situation deteriorate, as well as providing institutional ballast that promotes an important degree of predictability in interactions between states. Alliances fill a gap where multilateral institutions struggle to shape state behaviour. They can also contribute to strategic equilibrium at the regional level by fashioning incentives for restraint among junior partners, who might otherwise be tempted to substantially increase military spending when faced with rising security threats. This can, over time, dampen the prospects for an action-reaction cycle of weapons acquisitions among states that leads to arms racing.
