The Asia-Pacific region is currently affected by a string of political and strategic challeng- es. While in the last couple of years the leadership of several countries in the region has changed, many of the problems upsetting the area have either remained stable or wors- ened. The People’s Republic of China (PRC), in the last few years, has demonstrated a renewed self-confident attitude, showing less tolerance towards those perceived pressures, both external and domestic, that could threaten its “core interests.” Even though China still characterizes its rise as intrinsically “pacific,” military expenditures are constantly growing, alarming regional neigh- bors—especially those with which territorial disputes remain dramatically open. Regional ten- sions have been worsened by mounting nationalistic sentiments, particularly evident after the last electoral round in Japan: these sentiments, strongly rooted in unresolved historical disputes, have considerably affected regional integration, as clearly demonstrated by the fact that to this day, no formal meetings were held among the Japanese Premier and the Chinese or South Korean heads of state. This fragmentation has obvious repercussions on the interests of the US in the region: Washington—through the implementation of its “rebalancing” strategy—has reaffirmed that the Asia-Pacific is a priority, and would prefer to have a solid front on which to leverage while “con- taining” Beijing’s assertiveness. In addition, North Korea—despite the domestic changes occurred since Kim Jong-un’s rise to power—still represents an unresolved enigma, which undermines stability in the region. These challenges, and many others—such as energy insecurity and cyber- security for example—are destined to shape the architecture of the region for the next few years. The main objective of this paper is to look at the main trends occurring in the Asia-Pacific region, from a political and strategic point of view.

The New Center of Power: Political and Strategic Trends in Asia Pacific

FIORI, ANTONIO
2014

Abstract

The Asia-Pacific region is currently affected by a string of political and strategic challeng- es. While in the last couple of years the leadership of several countries in the region has changed, many of the problems upsetting the area have either remained stable or wors- ened. The People’s Republic of China (PRC), in the last few years, has demonstrated a renewed self-confident attitude, showing less tolerance towards those perceived pressures, both external and domestic, that could threaten its “core interests.” Even though China still characterizes its rise as intrinsically “pacific,” military expenditures are constantly growing, alarming regional neigh- bors—especially those with which territorial disputes remain dramatically open. Regional ten- sions have been worsened by mounting nationalistic sentiments, particularly evident after the last electoral round in Japan: these sentiments, strongly rooted in unresolved historical disputes, have considerably affected regional integration, as clearly demonstrated by the fact that to this day, no formal meetings were held among the Japanese Premier and the Chinese or South Korean heads of state. This fragmentation has obvious repercussions on the interests of the US in the region: Washington—through the implementation of its “rebalancing” strategy—has reaffirmed that the Asia-Pacific is a priority, and would prefer to have a solid front on which to leverage while “con- taining” Beijing’s assertiveness. In addition, North Korea—despite the domestic changes occurred since Kim Jong-un’s rise to power—still represents an unresolved enigma, which undermines stability in the region. These challenges, and many others—such as energy insecurity and cyber- security for example—are destined to shape the architecture of the region for the next few years. The main objective of this paper is to look at the main trends occurring in the Asia-Pacific region, from a political and strategic point of view.
2014
Flexible Frameworks, Beyond Borders. Understanding Regional Dynamics to Enhance Cooperative Security
30
40
Antonio Fiori
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11585/404366
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