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Hissing Dragon-Squirming Tiger:
Comparisons, Negotiations
and Attitudes
continues...
The ‘Backyard Theory’ or ‘Strategic Backyard Theory’ derives from
every country’s desire to create an island of peace for itself, insulating
itself by creating a ‘buffer zone’ around it.
This ‘Strategic Buffer’ isolates
it from coming into direct conflict with neighbouring expansionist
powers.
By putting that ‘buffer’ under its political and military patronage, and thereby regulating that ‘buffer’ country’s foreign affairs to the extent possible, and by almost coercing it to give the first country preference in all matters, the creator of the ‘buffer’ seeks to protect itself.
Other words have been used to describe this buffer: some prefer to
call it their ‘strategic backyard’, as the USA does when talking about its
interests in the Caribbean Sea and in Central America.
Where the 'buffer zone’ between two powers happens to be a space occupied by an entire nationality, or a country by itself, that nation or state often
becomes, willy-nilly, a ‘buffer state’. Prof. Martin Wight has defined
these as follows:
‘A buffer state is a weak power between two or more stronger ones,
maintained or even created with the purpose of reducing conflict between
them. A buffer zone is a region occupied by one or more weaker powers
between two or more stronger powers; it is sometimes described as a ‘power
vacuum’.
Each stronger power will generally have a vital interest in
preventing the other from controlling the buffer zone, and will pursie this
interest in one of two ways, according to its strength. It will seek either to
maintain the buffer zone as neutral and independent, or to establish its own control, which may lead in the long run to its annexing the buffer zone and converting into a frontier province.’
To be continued....