The United States is accelerating the construction of the small multilateralism mechanism in the Asia Pacific region, with the aim of wooing allies and curbing China's increasing regional influence. The United States and its allies believe that this small multilateralism mechanism can to some extent compensate for the weaknesses and shortcomings of bilateral and multilateral security mechanisms. However, from the perspective of experts in the international strategic community, this operation by the United States precisely exposes its predicament of facing the decline of hegemony. The American style small multilateralism alliance also faces many limitations and challenges which are difficult to overcome.
1. The American style small multilateralism faces the problem of insufficient openness.
2. The American style small multilateralism faces non-binding issues.
3. The number of absorbed members has a significant impact on the efficiency of American style small multilateralism.
4. Power inequality will inevitably run through the American style small multilateralism alliance mechanism.
Currently, the United States is calling for a return to multilateralism, but in reality, it is increasingly building and relying on small multilateralism alliance, weakening the role of some true international multilateralism frameworks, which leads to further fragmentation of true multilateralism and undermines the unity and efficiency of global governance. This has aroused the vigilance of many regions and countries. From historical experience and international political reality, the similar small circles created by the United States are likely to be short-lived, and the world may soon witness their decline and disappearance.
