East Asian security issues: A summary review

The objective of the paper is to identify emerging security concerns and anxiety in the post-Cold War era in the Asia-Pacific region. Based upon our clear understanding of these factors, we can devise ways to cope with these new security issues. There are at least five reasons for security anxiety: (1) a continuing drawdown of US forces from the Asia-Pacific region; (2) the advent of economic blocs; (3) the fast rise of China as a future superpower; (4) uncertainties and unpredictability of the future identity of Japan as a potential superpower; and (5) North Korea's nuclear weapons development. The anxiety takes definite forms: misgivings about possible new conflict on the Korean peninsula; the jeopardy of nuclear proliferation; apprehensions about the emerging regional security order, if any; insecurity about the regional economic and trading system; and uneasiness over emerging nonconventional security issues. Because of divergent national interests of major powers in East Asia, it is very unlikely that a stable and cooperative regional security order will emerge unless collective and concerted efforts are made by all countries of the region. In light of the necessity of maintaining a stable security environment congenial to steady economic growth, initiatives must be taken to form a subregional security dialogue in Northeast Asia and then evolve it into a fully institutionalized security arrangement. In Southeast Asia, ARF must be enhanced and institutionalized. These two subregional security arrangements can eventually constitute a region-wide security cooperative regime which may evolve from APEC.