Power and Prosperity
The Links Between Economics and Security in Asia-Pacific
Description:... Linkages between economics and national security in the Asia-Pacific region have become increasingly critical in the post-cold war era. While long-standing military concerns still abound, perceptions about the relative significance of each of the two sets of issues have shifted. Uncertainties have arisen over the reciprocal effects of economic ties on security preferences in individual Asian nations. Meanwhile the benefits of increasing economic interdependence both among smaller nations and with respect to the presence of four great powers in the region-Russia, China, Japan, and the United States-for the security situation in the region have come into question. The Asia-Pacific region presents a microcosm of the global changes that have occurred since the end of the bipolar system of the cold war years. While the extraordinary economic performance of Asian countries is a strong determinant of international policy, many security issues remain unresolved and fraught with dangers. These include territorial disputes, nuclear proliferation, traditional national rivalries, and destabilization resulting from diminished U.S. military commitments. Power and Prosperity brings together senior scholars, policy officials, and international journalists to provide diverse perspectives on regional dynamics and domestic intricacies in the Pacific Rim countries and to examine the effects of changing security patterns on economic relations and growth. The contributions highlight the degree to which economic and security policies are connected and show how policymakers can build upon the positive dimensions of regional and international ties to increase trust and limit the development of security dilemmas. Contributors include: Kusuma Snitwongse; K.S. Nathan; Desmond Ball; John Zysman and Michael Borrus; Wang Jisi; Tai Ming Cheung; James Clay Moltz; Tsuneo Akaha; Eiichi Katahara; and Chung-in Moon.
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