Compared with post-Cold War Europe, East Asia has two
problems that deserve our attention.
First, there is nearly no traditional security threat in
Europe. But in East Asia the problems of traditional and non-traditional
security are equally serious.
In terms of traditional security, the Korean Peninsula
and territorial disputes between some East Asian nations are all potential
flashpoints, for which we foresee no possibility of a fundamental solution in
the near future.
The existence of traditional security problems is the key
reason for the trend toward strengthening traditional military alliances in the
post-Cold War era.
Moreover, there still exists the struggle between
different social systems as, with the exception of Cuba, all the existing
socialist countries are in East Asia.
The United States is not willing to fundamentally abandon
its Cold War policy towards East Asia, which often contributes to intensifying
regional tensions.
The growth of non-traditional security problems,
including terrorism, separatism, unrest or conflicts aroused by racial
confrontation, trans-border criminals and environmental issues, are also
obvious. The severe threat to the regional stability by such non-traditional
security problems has become the driving force of promoting security
co-operation among the concerned countries.
Second, Europe has some security mechanisms and
organizations such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which can
still effectively solve the continent's security issues. East Asia does not have
similar security mechanisms and systems. The United States, which has great
influence in this region, has never dominated the regional security affairs as
it has in Europe.
The US-Japan alliance, as a tool to contain the Soviet
Union and China during the Cold War, is fundamentally different from NATO.
Unlike NATO, the US-Japan alliance sometimes plays a role
in destroying the regional stability due to its Cold War mentality.
No European countries have been as willing as Japan to
rely so heavily on an alliance with the United States for protection. But it was
Japan that brought unforgettable suffering and disaster to this region during
World War II, and the country's steadfast refusal to honestly face up to that
history is the main reason it has never won the trust of its Asian
neighbours.
The complexity of East Asia's security situation has
mirrored some basic features of the development in this region, which on one
side indicates the Cold War security concept and structure would remain, and on
the other, fuelled by regional economic integration, bodes well for the
establishment of a new security situation and structure to maintain the basic
stability of the whole region.
History shows that, until the end of the Cold War, East
Asia's security situation was determined by the relations between the major
powers, and that East Asia's stability was maintained by the changing balance
between those powers.
The relations between the major powers continue to play a
pivotal role, but with new features.
Towards East Asia the concerned powers have attitudes or
policies that are mutually influential or conflicting.
For example, the United States continues to pursue
unipolar domination or hegemony in East Asia. But China, Russia, and even Japan
advocate directly or indirectly multipolarization. The United States attempts to
establish a security system based on military alliances. Nevertheless, some
nations of this region advocate the formation of a security system based on
co-operative strategy.
The practice of these policies and attitudes has resulted
in three basic forms of the post-Cold War security mechanism for East Asia,
namely, hegemony, balance of power and co-operative security.
Since all three originated from the need of their
respective domestic politics and national strategy and are viewed as a reaction
towards the complicated security environment of East Asia, they are all vital
and will co-exist and co-develop in this region for a long
time.
Of the three, the balance of power currently plays the
major role in maintaining the basic stability of East Asia, but in the long run
co-operative security will be increased and become the dominant feature of the
region's security system. This also means the impact of US hegemony will
decline.
First, co-operation between the powers in the post-Cold
War period has been increasingly enhanced, and a relationship based on
comprehension and co-existence has gradually been forged between them. Nearly
all the powers are faced with common or similar security threats within or
beyond East Asia. Meanwhile, an inter-dependent relationship has been formed in
the process of economic globalization, though it is usually a kind of unequal
interdependence.
This development has led to the strengthening of
co-operation and decreasing hostility between the major powers, of which the
development of the Sino-US relationship is a typical example.
Second, due to the increasingly serious non-traditional
security threat, the security issues of East Asia can only be solved by means of
co-operation.
No country can effectively cope with problems such as
terrorism, regional disturbance, smuggling and drug dealing by merely relying on
its own power or traditional military alliances. With the deepening of regional
economic integration, no unilateral policy will work, which has been proved by
the developments of the international relations in East Asia in recent years, in
particular since the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11,
2001.
It is therefore a reasonable and desirable option for
East Asia to set up a security system with co-operative security as its main
objective.
(China Daily )
