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International military cooperation in disaster relief has become a useful illustration of Asia-Pacific regional order building in action. This is because contemporary Asia-Pacific order-building involves constant renegotiation of the existing regional hierarchy, so that states engaging in disaster relief are also competing for international standing. We should expect that disaster cooperation establishes standing because it lets these states at once demonstrate material power, establish practical international ties, and build legitimacy. These are each key building-blocks of international order. A case study of the contributions of Japan and China in response to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in 2013 shows disaster responses mirroring patterns of status-seeking that have been highlighted in recent IR literature. Japan’s disaster contribution may have clarified and strengthened its role as a security partner in South-East Asia, while China has since worked to raise its profile as a provider of international humanitarian assistance.
Richard Salmons (Sun,) studied this question.