Minilateralism: a new page for Indo-Pacific IR lexicon

Minilateralism has become a prominent feature of international relations (IR), particularly within the context of the Indo-Pacific region. Despite the provision of some definition by preceding studies, the conceptual boundaries of this form of cooperation remain underdeveloped. This article seeks to address this gap by proposing a macro-level comparative approach to distinguish minilateralism from other established forms of cooperation, namely not only bilateralism and multilateralism, but also plurilateralism and regionalism. The distinction serves to clarify the conceptual boundary of minilateralism and elucidate the purposive quality of such exclusive cooperation. By advancing a clearer theoretical understanding of minilateralism, this article contributes to the accumulated conceptual lexicon of international relations in the Indo-Pacific region.