A multi-lateral Asia

The readings and soliloquy this week dealt with great powers, hegemony, and the international order. Of interest to me was the Mark Beeson article regarding hegemonic power transitions in East Asia. In my other class, I recently explored the possibility of NATO expanding, specifically outside of Europe by incorporating one or more of the liberal democracies (Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea). But another idea that occurred to me, which I wasn’t able to explore due to space constraints, was the idea of a multi-lateral trans-Pacific security organization.

            One significant idea that would need to be dealt with would be China. To my mind, one of the great weaknesses of either NATO’s expansion or an Asian security organization is the Chinese perception of being encircled and countered. One way to try to address the dragon in the room would be to try to include it from the very beginning. While China could never be considered a liberal western democracy, there is a precedent in NATO of including members who may not quite be up to scratch politically when the dictator-run Portugal was included at NATO’s founding. It was an acknowledgement that Portugal’s role in the organization was more important to NATO’s success than exclusion over its less-than-ideal governmental structure. The same approach could be used to incorporate a possibly hesitant China. The ideals of the organization would need to dance around the nature of the government but could easily focus on economic and military security, freedom of the commons, sovereign integrity and so on. 

            A benefit to this organization would be to provide an easier place for regional disputes to take place. China and Japan could discuss their issues over the Senkaku/Diayou Islands away from their home constituencies. It could also provide a forum to coordinate policy regarding North Korea, an issue of concern to several states in the Asia-Pacific realm. Smaller states would be provided a voice and direct interaction with the great powers of the region and face less pressure to deal with them bilaterally and from a position of weakness.

            This also ties in to the Ikenberry article and would allow for a hierarchical order based on negotiated rules and institutions, creating a security community versus hegemonic domination and competition between two or more great powers.

            I’m intrigued by the concept of an Asia-Pacific security community and this is an idea that I will probably continue to explore as my coursework continues.