Foreign Policy in Global Information Space: Actualizing Soft Power

255 Pages·2007·0.87 MB·English

by  Alan Chong

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Foreign Policy in Global Information Space
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Foreign Policy in Global
Information Space
Actualizing Soft Power
Alan Chong
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FOREIGNPOLICYINGLOBALINFORMATIONSPACE
© Alan Chong, 2007.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any
manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
First published in 2007 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN™
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PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave
Macmillan division of St. Martin’s Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd.
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and other countries. Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European
Union and other countries.
ISBN-13: 978–1–4039–7520–1
ISBN-10: 1–4039–7520–5
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available from the
Library of Congress.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
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First edition: May 2007
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CONTENTS
List of Illustrations vii
Acknowledgments ix
List of Abbreviations xi
Introduction: Nation-State Foreign
Policy amidst Globalization 1
One Toward a Changing Environment for Foreign
Policy: Nation-State, Globalization, and
Information as Political Power 6
Two Global Information Space, Discursive
Community, and Soft Power 22
Three Soft Power in Foreign Policy 59
Four Leadership in Foreign Policy, From Inside-Out
and Outside-In: Singaporean Foreign Policy and
the Asian Values Debate, 1992–2000 82
Five The Intermestic Politics of Foreign Policy:
Chilean Foreign Policy and the Pinochet
Extradition Controversy, 1998–2000 141
Conclusion: Soft Power Foreign
Policy—Creation Spinning Re-Creation 192
Notes 199
Bibliography 207
Index 236
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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Figures
1.1 A System of Information Flow 14
2.1 Soft Power Spectrum 57
Tables
4.1 Chronology of Singapore’s Political Milestones 85
4.2 Demand for the Singapore Cooperation Programme 131
5.1 Chronology of Chile’s Political Milestones 142
5.2 A Trail of Intermestic Interventions in Chile 1973–1988 167
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The abstraction of information, its relationship to globalization, and their
cumulative impact upon foreign policy. These were the puzzles mulled
over by me as I weathered London’s unfriendly winters and springs on the
lonely road of inquiry. Along the way, this book emerged as a dedication
to the self-empowering witness in international politics. In this intellectual
journey, I have encountered my share of strong heads and determination.
People whom one could quarrel with in Prêt-á-Mangerand Fleet Street bars
turned out to be true examples of all-night diligence. This book is also ded-
icated to those of us who debated Deleuze, Gramsci, and Intellectual
Property Rights at the London School of Economics’ International
Relations workshops and saw their ideas through to print.
My deep sense of indebtedness and appreciation go out to my doctoral
supervisor Christopher Hill, who is happily resident once again at his alma
mater, Cambridge University; the encouragement of Jana Valencic, who
introduced me to the experience of conference editing; and my examiners
Stuart Corbridge and Anthony McGrew.
In Singapore, I was granted interview access to officials connected with
foreign affairs and information policies. My sincere gratitude is due to
Professor Tommy Koh, then director of the Asia-Europe Foundation;
Mr. Bilahari Kausikan, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs; Mr. Anthony Chng, then director of the Technical Cooperation
Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Alan Chan Heng Loon, then
permanent secretary of the Ministry of Transport; and Dr. Choong May
Ling of the then Ministry of Communications and Information Technology
for granting me a joint interview; as well as various members of the CSC
Consultants for entertaining my queries. Paula Donovan of the World
Bank Liaison Office in Singapore had been equally responsive to my e-mail
queries.
Between Chile and Britain, I must make a special mention of the enor-
mous help provided by the International Human Rights Project (PIDH) in
retracing the human drama behind the 503 days of “the London Picket.”
Jimmy and Myriam Bell, Silvia Velasquez, and Nicole Drouilly have been
exceptional in their willingness to be open to discussing the events of
1998–2000 to an “outsider.” In this connection, Amnesty International has
been most helpful in putting me in touch with their network. Carlos Reyes