Imagining middle powers

Abstract

Discussions of middle powers in international relations scholarship are hampered by a lack of clarity about what the term ‘middle power’ actually means. This has not stopped increasing numbers of states that cannot claim great power ranking but resist being categorised as small powers imagining middle power status for themselves in regional and global affairs. In an attempt to shed light on middle power imagining, three concepts of middle power are identified. It is contended that one or more of these concepts influences the foreign policies of states ambitious for middle power recognition in regional and global affairs. Identifying which concept, or which combination of concepts, influences a state's middle power imagining may contribute to deeper understandings of the effectiveness, or otherwise, of its foreign policies.

国际关系研究中有关中等强国的讨论，缺少对“中等强国”含义的清晰界定。尽管如此，越来越多高不攀低不就的国家将自己想象成地区和全球事务中的中等强国。作者找到三个观念来说明中等强国的想象。作者认为，一个或多个这样的观念影响了在地区和全球事务中有中等强国抱负的国家的外交政策。弄清楚具体哪个观念，或哪些观念的组合影响了一个国家的中等强国想象，有助于我们深入理解这个国家外交政策是否有效。

Keywords:

• Australia
• imagining states
• middle powers

Notes

1. My thinking on these and related matters has been improved by discussions with Yong Zhong Zhu. Thanks also to Timothy Lynch and two anonymous Australian Journal of International Affairs referees, whose suggestions were invaluable in revising the article.