An East Asian security community: Japan, Australia and resources as 'security'

There is a growing concern that the Asia-Pacific region is institutionally and architecturally ill-equipped to cope with changing regional dynamics and global power shifts that are presently under way. The idea of building a regional 'community' has been floated-and criticised-among various policy makers and analysts. Critics argue that the degree of cultural, political and religious diversity of the region and the mixed success of existing institutions undermines the prospect of any European-style security community emerging in East Asia. This article challenges those assumptions. The development of close and multidimensional bilateral and multilateral relationships between different countries in the region based on areas of mutual interest is a positive indicator that a regionally unique security community can emerge in this part of the world. Managing resource distribution emerges as a key variable for shaping norms predicated on mutual security assurances and deepening cooperation throughout the region. This is demonstrated by the development of the Australia-Japan bilateral security relationship.