By Yuxin A. Zhang
What prevents closer security ties in East Asia? A lot.
Regional integration can help countries achieve wealth, peace, and stability through cooperation aimed at addressing issues of common concern. Integration can be both economic and political, with security concerns generally emerging as part of the latter. Regional economic integration in the Asia-Pacific, in particular East Asia, has moved forward a step since the conclusion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in Beijing last year. Intra-regional trade has increased and foreign direct investment has surged. Yet security integration has barely budged. Five factors are playing a role in this.
First, recent political developments in the region, specifically the disputes over the South China Sea and East China Sea, have created a “security dilemma.” Pertinent or not to its disputes with its neighbors, China’s substantial military buildup worries the other countries involved in the disputes and has encouraged them to step up their own military procurement. In response, China has increased its own military expenditures still further. The security dilemma has provided opportunities for confrontation and could further destabilize the region, particularly since China is unlikely to seek international arbitration over the island disputes. The Chinese government considers the disputes internal affairs, and it has re-claimed sovereignty over the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands as well as the Paracel Islands, the Spratly Islands, and others. Japan has also affirmed its territorial sovereignty over Diaoyu/Sankaku and has shown no intention of proposing international arbitration. The resulting impasse, together with the unwillingness of the parties involved to address sovereignty disputes through legal means, has added to the political complexities.
Read the full story at The Diplomat