Hedging in international relations: an introduction

In recent years, the concept of ‘hedging’ has risen to prominence in international relations discourse. Hedging normally refers in that context to a national security or alignment strategy, undertaken by one state toward another, featuring a mix of cooperative and confrontational elements. It is often contrasted with balancing or bandwagoning, concepts developed during the Cold War era to depict the alternative strategies of resisting or accommodating a mighty or menacing great power. The idea of hedging arose as scholars examined the novel dynamics of international politics in the post-Cold War period and found prevailing theoretical approaches inadequate. For most scholars, the concept of hedging seeks to address several key questions about contemporary international relations theory and practice. How do states tend to respond to rising powers that may challenge their security interests? When they forge protective ties with a friendly great power, how do they guard against the possibility of...