Middle powers and minilateralism against hybrid threats in the Indo-Pacific: South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan

Asian middle powers are adopting strategies to address emerging hybrid warfare threats by building a web of partnerships with capable and advanced states. This shows an inflection point in the foreign behaviours of Asian states, which have been largely regarded as hedgers between the US and China. To demonstrate the relationship between hybrid threats and complex alignment, this study focuses on three second-tier Indo-Pacific states: South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan. South Korea has opened a new era of the trilateral relationship with the US and Japan, and has released its revised cybersecurity strategy emphasising liberal international cooperation against North Korea’s and other hybrid threats, while deepening its cyber and technology cooperation with like-minded states. Singapore has sought to further develop its relationship with the US, whilst maintaining ties with Taiwan; such an arrangement provides an opportunity for the two countries to promote joint leadership to support minilateral efforts in countering Chinese hybrid warfare threats. Over the past two decades, minilateral cooperation has become increasingly popular among Asian states that are implementing institutional balancing against the newly emerging threats.