Network Connections and the Emergence of the Hub-and-Spokes Alliance System in East Asia

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Published: Fall 2020

Granddaughter of President Dwight Eisenhower Mary Jean Eisenhower (front row 4th from L), the great-grandson of President Eisenhower Merrill Eisenhower Atwater (5th) and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (5th) and others pose for photo ahead of the reception to mark 60th anniversary of Japan-U.S. Security Treaty at Iikura Guest House in Tokyo on Jan. 19, 2020. (The Yomiuri Shimbun)

Summary

Why did the hub-and-spokes alliance system, and not a multilateral alliance, emerge in East Asia after World War II? A social exchange network approach explains how three U.S. allies—Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan—contributed to the emergence and shape of the hub-and-spokes system, which came into being as an unintended consequence of their interactions. Understanding the origin of this system enables scholars and policymakers to identify how and why the U.S. alliance system in the region is changing, as well as devise appropriate policy responses.

Recommended citation

Yasuhiro Izumikawa, "Network Connections and the Emergence of the Hub-and-Spokes Alliance System in East Asia," International Security, Vol. 45, No. 2 (Fall 2020), pp. 7-50, doi.org/10.1162/isec_a_00389.