An important passage from his Winning the Third World: Sino-American Rivalry during the Cold War, and one very relevant to contemporary Asia – while regional states are much more stable today, they remains outside the reliable control of outsiders:
“political instability prevailed in much of the Global South during the Cold War often confounding the efforts of both Americans and Chinese to cultivate particular leaders or elites. Military coups, successful insurgencies, or other power plays could realign politics in developing countries, altering relations with and perceptions of outside powers” (9)
Paul Staniland 