Asymmetry in International Relations — Brantly Womack

03. 11. 2026

What happens when two states are fundamentally unequal, yet must still deal with each other? Brantly Womack joins me to unpack asymmetry theory, from guanxi and reciprocity to the question of whether the US-China rivalry can define a multinodal world order.

Brantly Womack

Brantly Womack is Professor Emeritus of Foreign Affairs in the Department of Politics and Senior Faculty Fellow at the Miller Center, University of Virginia, USA. His research explores asymmetric international relationships and the post-hegemonic world order, alongside the domestic politics and foreign policy of China, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, and the United States.

Publications

• China and Vietnam: The Politics of Asymmetry

• China Among Unequals: Asymmetric Foreign Relationships in Asia

• Asymmetry and International Relationships

• Rethinking the Triangle: Washington-Beijing-Taipei

• Recentering Pacific Asia: Regional China and World Order

• Strategic Principles for Co-Existence in a Multinodal World

• Contra Schelling: The Trap of Coercive Strategy in a Multinodal Era

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

02:08 Interdependence, Dependence, and Asymmetry

06:23 Asymmetry in International Relations Theory

11:19 The Concept of Pacific Asia

13:17 Theoretical Framework and Methodology

21:45 Material Superiority and Political Control

26:12 Reciprocity and Attention in Asymmetric Relations

33:18 Relational Dimensions of Asymmetry Theory

40:05 Asymmetry versus Hegemonic Order

44:10 The Role of Guanxi in International Relations

48:50 A Multinodal World Order

53:09 Can Bipolarity Exist in a Multinodal World?

58:35 Theoretical Limitations and Future Research

1:03:13 Reception of Asymmetry Theory among Chinese Scholars