Research On The US-Philippine Alliance Relationship Under The Asymmetric Alliance Theory

The US Philippines Alliance is a key member of the traditional alliance system in the US Asia Pacific region and an important member of the US Indo Pacific Alliance.As a typical asymmetric alliance,the US Philippines alliance has gone through a development process of "close distance again close again distance" since the beginning of the 21 st century,making it difficult to break free from the cycle of "cooperation deviation".As a result,the issue of alliance management,institutionalized construction,and external deterrence of the US Philippines alliance has always been affected by changes in alliance stability,and has become a sensitive issue in the US Asia Pacific alliance system.This article argues that the contradiction and conflict between historical structural characteristics and practical strategic demands are the fundamental reasons for the strategic differences in the US Philippines alliance since the 21 st century.From this perspective,the structural imbalance between historical structural characteristics and practical strategic demands is the most fundamental driving force behind these sensitive issues.The asymmetric alliance theory provides a useful theoretical framework and path dependence for analyzing the problems of the US Philippines alliance.The "autonomy security" exchange model,domestic political model,and asymmetric alliance balance theory model not only enrich traditional alliance theory research,but also provide multiple new perspectives for explaining and analyzing the US Philippines alliance.In theory,as a major power in an asymmetric alliance,the United States’ alliance strategy is power oriented and follows the logic of power.Although it cannot unilaterally rule in the alliance,it dominates the direction of alliance development,determines the definition of major threats,and holds the right to speak for security.As a small country in an asymmetric alliance,the Philippines,although "not just obedient",has to sacrifice some autonomy and obtain security protection and commitments from major powers due to differences in capabilities and strength compared to the United States.Therefore,the asymmetric relationship determines that the interaction between the United States and the Philippines is not an equal "interactive interaction",but a complementary "reciprocal interaction".It is an exchange of autonomy and security based on differences in capabilities,and a "take what you need" transaction based on the premise of interactive value.From a practical perspective,with the relative decline of the United States’ power and status,its hegemonic behavior has intensified the competition among major powers in the international system,and the United States has begun to reshape its alliance system according to its own strategic needs.Trump broke the stable institutional framework of the traditional alliance;Biden injected more nontraditional elements into the traditional alliance and broke the external boundaries of the original alliance system.In such a situation,the US Philippines alliance faces multiple dilemmas: the traditional contradiction between economy and security is constantly intensifying;The internal and external structural conflicts between the alliance dilemma and the alliance security dilemma are constantly expanding;The debate between "role sharing" and "responsibility sharing" is becoming increasingly fierce.In this process,the collision between the "power logic" of the United States and the "security logic" of the Philippines was unprecedented and intense.The centripetal force of the alliance rapidly decreased,and the centrifugal tendency significantly increased.The complex interweaving of the issue of following and balancing with the "fear of abandonment and involvement" led to the rapid increase of the rift in the alliance,and the US Philippines alliance was once in a "standstill" state.Although Little Marcos changed Duterte’s tough stance after taking office,his approach was roughly the same as Duterte’s "equilateral balance" strategy towards the United States,indicating that the US Philippines alliance will inevitably continue the conflict process under the dual checks and balances of US strategic leadership and Philippine strategic autonomy.Although the issue of the evolution of the alliance has been raised on the political agenda of both sides,the prospects for alliance reshaping are still filled with many unknown variables due to the dual influence of unitary and systemic factors.In addition to the introduction,this article is divided into six chapters,with the specific content as follows:Chapter 1: Asymmetric Alliance Theory and Its Applicability,mainly analyzing the traditional alliance theory and asymmetric alliance theory and their content;Relatively comprehensive comparison of the connections and differences between the two theories;A comparative perspective was conducted on the mechanisms of power orientation and security orientation between large and small countries.Based on this,the limitations of traditional theories and the applicability of asymmetric alliance theory in explaining the US Philippines alliance were explained.Chapter 2: The historical form and strategic structure of the US Philippines alliance,mainly from three dimensions: historical evolution,institutional framework,and structural characteristics,provides a detailed review and analysis of the development context,mechanism construction,and functional positioning of the US Philippines alliance.Chapter 3: Strategic Expansion of the US Philippines Alliance,mainly from the perspective of the "power logic" of major powers,provides a perspective on the reshaping of the Asia Pacific alliance system under the protection of US hegemony,the positioning of the US Philippines alliance as a "hegemonic logic",and a comprehensive analysis of the strategic measures taken by previous governments to strengthen the US Philippines alliance and its historical inheritance.Chapter 4: Strategic Constraints between the Philippines and the United States,mainly from the perspective of the "security logic" of small countries,studies the security culture,security policy traditions,and alliance strategic considerations of the Philippines.We have reviewed and compared the alliance policies of previous Philippine governments,and explored the choices and root causes of their strategic autonomy and restraint.Chapter 5: Strategic Issues in the Evolution of the US Philippines Alliance,mainly based on the above research,exacerbates the complex contradictions between the "Alliance Dilemma" and "Alliance Security Dilemma" of the US Philippines Alliance;The dispute over "responsibility sharing" and "role sharing" has spread;The conflict between "power logic" and "security logic" was analyzed,and it was pointed out that two dilemmas,two sharing,and contradictions and conflicts between the two logics have led to a dual dilemma in the evolution of the alliance and a dilemma of choice.Chapter 6: The Strategic Trends of the Future Development of the US Philippines Alliance,mainly focusing on the strategic shift,functional strengthening,and long-term design of the US Philippines alliance,explores the concept and direction of alliance reshaping,analyzes the repeated cycle of "close distance" between the US Philippines,and explores the strategic tendencies of "cooperation deviation" between the two countries and their long-term impacts.Based on this premise,the policy and strategy issues of China’s response to the strategic changes of the US Philippines alliance were studied and analyzed.This article uses asymmetric alliance theory to systematically study and analyze the practical problems,policy dilemmas,strategic expectations,and prospects faced by the US Philippines alliance since the 21 st century.On this basis,the following conclusions can be drawn: the contradiction and conflict between historical structural characteristics and strategic demands are the fundamental reasons for the strategic differences in the US Philippines alliance.As long as this structural contradiction is not resolved,coordination and conflict between the US and the Philippines will also become a long-term issue;The "autonomous secure" exchange model of asymmetric alliances can explain some of the problems of the US Philippines alliance,but it cannot solve or be applicable to all problems,and there is still more theoretical space for research on the US Philippines alliance;The alliance dilemma between the United States and the Philippines stems from the capacity gap between the two countries,and is the result of the complex interweaving and interaction of two logics(power and security),two cultures,security,and the alliance;The strategic dilemma in the evolution of the US Philippines alliance will be a long-standing and complex issue.The mutual influence between "alliance dilemma" and "security dilemma",as well as the cognitive differences between "role sharing" and "responsibility sharing",will to some extent increase the sensitivity and fragility of US Philippines alliance policies;The strategic positioning of the United States towards the US Philippines alliance and the strategic adjustment of the Philippines towards the alliance will both be a continuous process.The result of the two countries redefining their national interests and the degree of their alignment will determine the strategic stability and influence of the US Philippines alliance.The above conclusions are based on research on the US Philippines alliance system.