The emergence and politics of polyalignment

In the Second Cold War between the US and China, middle ground countries are overwhelmingly refusing to choose sides. However, despite resultant talk of ‘new non-alignment’, they do not seek to keep major states at arm’s length, as in the first Cold War; rather, they seek to build and maintain connections with rival players as much as possible, reflecting their attachment to the deep networks created under globalisation in the decades since 1989. This article introduces the concept of polyalignment to guide analysis of the present era. Polyalignment describes both an extant condition arising from the complex interconnectivity established under globalisation and efforts to manage and perpetuate such connections. The article historically traces the shift from non-alignment to polyalignment, highlighting the impact of globalisation and state transformation on states’ external ties and on their capacity to exert centralised control over their foreign relations, factors typically neglected in work on ‘new non-alignment’ and ‘hedging’. The article introduces a special issue that explores cases of polyalignment in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and South and Southeast Asia.