Stretching the Limits of Balance of Threat Theory: Case of People’s Republic of China-Venezuelan Relations
Articles
Karolis Kasarauskas
Vytautas Magnus University image/svg+xml
https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1924-4388
Published 2026-03-12
https://doi.org/10.15388/Polit.2026.121.3
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Keywords

People's Republic of China (PRC)
Venezuela
bilateral relations
Latin America
foreign policy

How to Cite

Kasarauskas, Karolis. 2026. “Stretching the Limits of Balance of Threat Theory: Case of People’s Republic of China-Venezuelan Relations”. Politologija 121 (1): 79-121. https://doi.org/10.15388/Polit.2026.121.3.

Abstract

Since 2019, many Latin American states, the USA, and the European Union countries have not recognized Nicolás Maduro as a legitimate head of state. This made Venezuela relatively isolated on the world stage, especially in regional affairs. This aspect forced N. Maduro and his government to seek closer relations with the powerful actors that recognized the legitimacy of his rule, such as the PRC. The main objective of this article is to assess the relationship between Venezuela and the PRC in the political, economic, and security spheres. In this article, Stephen Walt’s balance of threat theory was used in order to test how this theory works while analyzing bilateral ties in different cooperation fields. Finally, in this paper, I also raise the theoretical problem that it is difficult for a weaker player to create a balance of power when its partner is geographically distant from it, especially when a weaker ally has less leverage to influence the actions of a more powerful partner.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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