1 - Mainland and Maritime Southeast Asia mutually constituted identities with outside major powers

Presentation Abstract
One way of examining ASEAN's relations with outside powers is through the Chinese School of Relationalism, where the logic of relationality draws on social practices, and argues that what action a state takes is based upon what relationship it has with the specific other where their identities are mutually constructed, rather than based on universal norms. China and ASEAN have mutually constructed identities that govern their interactions outside of the rules-based liberal international order and that facilitate Southeast Asian countries membership in China's Maritime Silk Road. Russia offers ASEAN membership in the Greater Eurasian Partnership, a continental strategy that has its base in Central Asia, and hopes to link to both mainland and maritime Southeast Asia. The United States offers ASEAN membership in the Free and Open Indo-Pacific, a Values-Based Order in the Indo-Pacific meant to maintain the liberal international order, and is most attractive to maritime Southeast Asia as it promises to enhance the naval capacity of Southeast Asian states through training, equipment, and naval exercises. This paper will study to what extent Southeast Asian states respond differently to each of these three strategies, creating divisions between mainland and maritime states.