Abstract
Under the lens of Neoclassical Realism, this article aims to comprehend the vanishing claims of Brunei in the South China Sea, by considering systemic stimuli and elite perceptions as major factors to the foreign policy decision. The results of this research indicate that; (1) The current Multipolar International system contributed to Brunei’s decision to secure BRI-related development investments and to advance the two-way trade between the countries, (2) The unified perception of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Brunei MOFA, and the Royal Brunei Navy to place more weight on the perception of alignment for future economic gains, therefore, side-lining their claims.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 1858563 |
| Journal | Cogent Social Sciences |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 17 Dec 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The author received no direct funding for this research. I would like to acknowledge my research assistant, Ari Putra Anugrah, that has dedicated the time to complete the data collection of the Brunei elite perceptions on the South China Sea dispute, as well as data analysis.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Author(s). This open access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license.
Keywords
- Brunei
- elite perception
- multipolar system
- neoclassical realism
- South China Sea