Book Description

"The fall of the Berlin Wall, the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, and the ultimate collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) ushered in a new era in geopolitics. The Cold War left an indelible mark on the Asian geopolitical environment, including a bevy of bilateral, hub-and-spoke arrangements. As Asian expert and political economist Bruce Overholt instructs, as a new era emerges, institutions and mindsets still linger from the previous era, constraining progress and outliving their utility. Indeed, the Cold-War institutions have proven to be ill-suited for the modern Asian geopolitical environment. However, emerging Asian multilateralism provides hope for the future. Today, the Asia-Pacific requires continued political stability and secure, open Sea Lines of Communications (SLOCs) for continued economic development and therefore, the United States' must deter conflict and reassure allies within a complex, geopolitical environment rife with ethnic mistrust and successfully welcome a rising but fragile, economic and military power -- China. The paper begins by exploring four salient aspects of the Asia-Pacific geopolitical environment. First, the biggest challenge is ethnic mistrust, followed by the domestic fragility of China; however, the greatest benefit thus far is the emergence of Asian multilateralism, and in this regard, the most promising opportunity for future progress is cooperative security of the Sea Lines of Communications (SLOCs). Finally, the paper provides recommendations for US policy to deter conflict, reassure regional allies - Japan, South Korea, and ASEAN -- and accommodate the rise of China."--Introduction.