Author Description

The tremendous economic development of East Asia in the fourth quarter of the twentieth century has been accompanied by an increasing concern in the security arena. This is due to the political disputes that could arise among countries of that region following the end of the Cold War and the subsequent shrinkage of the American military presence in the Pacific Ocean. A slow withdrawal by the US will lead to a larger security vacuum which East Asian countries will attempt to fill using their own capabilities, including the building up of military arsenals. In anticipation of new developments, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is thus spending more on strengthening and modernizing its defenses. This study looks at these developments and focuses on the nuclear issue within the context of the regional arms race in East Asia. It also analyses the modern forms of cooperation, such as the Asian Regional Federation (ARF) which was established to combine limited national interests and further cooperation among East Asian countries in all domains.