ABSTRACT
The subjective nature of relationality ironically emphasizes the intersubjective process of altercasting, which in turn speaks to the unilateral tendency of countries acting on behalf of the bilateral or greater relationship. While nations mediate the effects of international anarchy/disorder by securing stable relationships, the stronger power may still rely on its internal resources to carve out what strings of resemblance define the ‘proper’ practice of relation. We examine two kinds of unilateralism in relational IR: the first is uni-multilateralism, as represented by the US, where a unilateral approach is adopted in order to achieve a multilateral order. The other is uni-bilateralism, represented by China, where the unilateral approach is used to promote a bilateral order. China’s application of uni-bilateralism sheds light on how relationality remains a longstanding puzzle in practical terms, considering how the other party is unlikely to appreciate the practical contradiction between the approach and the pursued order. We argue that the clash between the two major powers that similarly adopt unilateral methods offers a better explanation of their confrontation than the difference in the actual order they each pursue.
