Published by
The Bangkok Post
The Bangkok Post
‘Finlandisation” describes the commitment to strategic neutrality that a small country might make, in order to avoid provoking a much larger and more powerful neighbour. The term is derived from Finland’s longstanding policy of strict military non-alignment with either the Soviet Union or the West — a policy that it maintained vis-à-vis Russia after the end of the Cold War but that its recent application for Nato membership has upended. But even as Finland abandons Finlandisation, many Asian countries may well be set to adopt it. Unlike Finland and its European partners, most Asian countries h…