INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OF EAST ASIA

The impact of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis made the Asian states to look at the international relations different from that of the Westerners more specifically from that of the Americans. The rapid growth of the Peoples’ Republic of China in the 1980s and the end of the World War during 1991 pricked the curiosity of the journalists to foresee on how the East Asian international relations in the twenty-first century would look like.

Some pessimists calculated that after the Cold War Asia would become an unstable a multipolar region. Most importantly this view was presented by the political scientist Aaron L. Friedberg at Princeton University. Even after twenty year from the end of the Cold War analysis could not predict the diversified views of Asia. No conclusive judgments can be made in here.

There are significant changes made in the past two decades in the international relations of East Asia.  A new international order emerged as a result of the multilateral frameworks which initiated a diplomatic relations among East Asian nations. The normalization of China’s relationship with Singapore and Indonesia, the establishment of a formal relationship between Soviet Union and the Republic of Korea, the joining of the South Korea with the United Nations, the formal relationship between the South Korea and the China in the early 90s made remarkable change in the East Asia’s international relationships.

APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) has begun its meetings in 1993 which raised the integration of the Asia-Pacific region to the next level. The ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) created a ASEAN vision 2020 which promised to establish “ASEAN Community” by 2020. On the other the progression of the multilayered multi-lateral frameworks helps the East Asia to reform itself.

China has played a vital role in changing the East Asian Policies. Though China has been looked at as a military threat by other countries in the early 1990s the thought seemed to recede in days passed by. The policy changes in China made the other nations to look at China. China with all its structural changes has managed to respond to the international change with its policies for the rapidly emerging international environment. On the other hand the Asian currency crisis made way for China to act on its relation with ASEAN.

The U.S China Japan triangular relations has made to understand that the proper understanding of these three countries can resolve the issue that are existing in Taiwan. The improvement in relationship among the four states in the region necessitated an international environment which helped to solve Taiwan issue.

Questions

• What is the pessimist view that is raised after the cold war about Asia’s future?
• What is the contribution of China in the international relations of East Asia?