What Role Can Trust Play? Conflicts and Trust-Building in East Asia

The article explores the concept of trust and its relevance to conflicts and their solution. In conflicts, threat perceptions are a driving force for action. Trust fulfills a psychological need and acts as a stabilizer in human interaction. It is important in efforts of building a cooperative environment and peaceful relations as well as in situations of conflict. Different kinds of trust exist, but all involve some risk-taking. Structural conditions and institutional mechanisms conducive to trust-building, education for trust, and confidence-building measures can reduce uncertainty and allow actors to trust one another more. The article applies the issue of trust to a case study of East Asia. The East Asian region is in great political movement with various potential and actual conflicts. The significant role that trust and trust-building can play in reducing tension and fostering dialogue and cooperation in this region is elaborated.