A Research On Non-traditional Security Cooperation On The US-Mexico Border After The Cold War

According to the Asymmetry Theory proposed by Brantly Womack,an asymmetric relationship is a binary simplified structure that is composed of a powerful state and a weaker state.Although the powerful state has an overwhelming advantage in military and economic resources as well as political mobilization ability,which makes it have a strong influence on relations with weak states,yet,it is difficult for the great power to have the ability to completely resolve conflicts with weak states,and they cannot unilaterally and arbitrarily determine "every specific clause" of the bilateral relations.Meanwhile,the weak state does not have the ability to challenge a powerful state,but it has some right to express their preferences.If a weak state depends on a powerful state in terms of trade,finance,etc.,it will not rashly use a confrontational strategy.On the contrary,it will form an asymmetric relationship model of “acknowledgement for deterrence”.The structural misperceptions and differences of interests between a powerful and a weak state make it hard to accomplish “acknowledgement for deterrence”,and asymmetric cooperation faces huge difficulties.Thus,the asymmetric relationship should be properly managed.The US-Mexico relationship falls into a typical asymmetric relation.Mexico recognizes the United States as a super power,and responds to US requirements moderately in most cases.However,Mexico refuses unilateral constrains from the United States.The prerequisite for cooperation with the United States is that the United States acknowledges Mexico's autonomy and grants Mexico economic benefits and public goods.The maintenance of this asymmetric relationship requires the support of four variables: the stable and long-term mutual trust and consultation mechanism;self-restraint and needy assistance from the US;Mexico's leverage on the United States' power and domestic reform efforts;third-party coordination.If both the states can meet these four requirements from their own policies and interactions,the United States and Mexico can achieve a balance of their respective interests,and the asymmetric cooperative relationship can be maintained.If not,the asymmetric partnership may be transformed to some hostile relations or dominating relations.This dissertation conducts a systematic study of non-traditional security cooperation on the US-Mexico border,specifically,on the three cases of transboundary water governance,illegal immigration management,and anti-drugs cooperation,in order to analyze the four variables in managing asymmetric cooperation.Through the research,this dissertation finds that in transboundary water governance,the United States and Mexico have established a stable institutionalized consultation and decision-making mechanism,and the United States is effectively self-disciplined,and has provided limited assistance to Mexico based on Mexican needs.Mexico strictly abides by the Water Treaty and vigorously improved environmental law enforcement,demonstrated a good international image,thus formed an effective institutional leverage on the United States.Finally,the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation provided mediation for environmental issues in the watershed along the US-Mexico border.Therefore,transboundary water resources governance can be seen as a successful case.As to the anti-drug cooperation,the United States' unilateral actions and consultation mechanisms are intertwined,and Merida Initiative has become an umbrella for US intelligence activities,so it is impossible to establish a real relationship of trust with Mexico.At the same time,The United States has not exercised effective self-discipline in the illegal arms trafficking.Mexico does not have the full right to participate and make decisions on how to use aid provided by the US.At the same time,from an internal politics view of Mexico,Mexico is unable to resolve structural problems such as corruption and poverty in a short period of time.Mexico cannot effectively restrain US unilateral interference.In terms of third-party coordination,in order to reduce sensitivity,the United States entrusted Canada to provide certain technical assistance to Mexico under the framework of North American regional cooperation.Mexico is committed to actively promoting the transformation of the international drug control regime in a more comprehensive and balanced direction.In view of the fact that many states in the U.S.have introduced policies for the legalization of cannabis,the position of the U.S.has loosened,and the flexibility of the international drug control regime has provided a new space for negotiation between the U.S.and Mexico to develop more balanced drug control cooperation.However,in view of Mexico's current dependence on US anti-drug equipment and intelligence,the United States still dominates US-Mexico anti-drug cooperation.In the case of irregular immigration governance,the high-level consultation mechanism between the United States and Mexico is also unstable and incoherent.After the 9/11 incident,the United States and Mexico lacked the willingness for immigration dialogue.The United States prefers unilateral actions on immigration issues.The aid to Mexico has set the conditions of law enforcement,and the aid to irregular immigrants from in Central America attaches many conditions.Mexico has conducted law enforcement cooperation with the United States to jointly intercept irregular Central American immigrants and lobby in the United States,hoping to influence the reform of American illegal immigration legislation.However,it has not yet had a positive impact on American illegal immigration policies.In addition,in terms of third-party coordination,although the United States has donated funds to the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations Refugee Agency to help manage irregular immigrants from Mexico and Central America repatriated by the United States,it refuses to be bound by the terms and consensus of the Global Migration Pact within the framework of United Nations.Therefore,the US-Mexico irregular immigration management cooperation has not reached the expected goal.Mexico has to be in a passive position.The research concludes that a long-term and stable mutual trust consultation mechanism,effective self-discipline and assistance from the United States,Mexico's domestic reform and its ability to leverage US are the three core conditions that maintain the stability of asymmetric binational relations.When conflicts cannot be reconciled at the bilateral level,third-party coordination is an effective supplementary path to maintain asymmetric relations from becoming hostile.Third-party coordination can relieve the inherent tension of asymmetric relationships in the technical and operational area.However,when it comes to normative principles,the effectiveness of third-party coordination depends on the completeness of international norms and whether United States is willing to be bound by international norms.