The New Security Agenda in the Asia-Pacific Region

This book has two central themes. The first is the important question of which parts of the "old" agenda should be retained, and what new elements should be added. These few years of post Cold-War readjustment present a valuable opportunity to strategic reassessment and conceptual retooling. The immediate prospect for major war is minimal and the foreign policies of all the major powers suggest a desire for reconciliation and a recognition of the benefits of peaceful cooperation. Yet the squalls that may develop into tomorrow's conflicts are already visible on the horizon. To make best use of this transitional period, strategic thinkers must determine which principles and lessons from the past have enduring validity, and to understand the signigicance of new security developments. While many aspects of the new security environment in the Asia-Pacific region have changed, some fundamental tenets of international politics persist. It is crucial that the next generation of security analysts and planners is wise enough to discern what to keep, what to throw away, and what to add. (Adapted from Publisher's Abstract).