Demonstrating that none of the various perspectives under review has emerged as the clear winner in the struggle for theoretical hegemony in security studies, this book shows that eclectic perspectives, like democratic realist institutionalism, can better explain peace and security in the Asian Pacific. The Asian Pacific has emerged as one of the most important regions in the world, causing scholars to pay increased attention to the various challenges, old and new, to peace and security there. Peace and Security in the Asia-Pacific: Theory and Practice is a comprehensive, critical review of the established theoretical perspectives relevant to contemporary peace and security studies in the light of recent experiences. Illuminating ongoing debates in the field, the book covers some 20 theoretical perspectives on peace and security in the Asian Pacific, including realist, liberal, socialist, peace and human security, constructivist, feminist, and nontraditional security studies. The first section of the book discusses perspectives in realist security studies, the second part covers perspectives critical of realism. The author's goal is to assess whether any of the perspectives found in nonrealist security studies are capable of undermining realism. His conclusion is that each theoretical perspective has its strengths and weaknesses, leaving eclecticism as the best way to understand the region's dynamics.

From the war on terror to the rise of China, this book unlocks the major strategic themes and security challenges of the early twenty-first century. Strategy and Security in the Asia-Pacific provides the analytical frameworks needed to make sense of this complex but exciting strategic universe. Offering a unique mix of global strategic thinking and Asia-Pacific security analysis, this book is for readers from Sydney to Seoul who want to put their own local security challenges in a wider regional and global context. It is also for North American and European readers requiring an understanding of the dynamic security developments in the Asia-Pacific region around which so much of global strategy is increasingly based. The really vital questions facing the international community are dealt with here: Why do governments and groups still use armed force? Has warfare really changed in the information age? Why should we be concerned about non-traditional security challenges such as water shortages and the spread of infectious disease? Is a great clash imminent between the United States and China? What are the prospects for peace on the Korean peninsula and between India and Pakistan? Can Southeast Asia survive the challenges of transnational terrorism? What does security mean for the Pacific island countries and for Australia and New Zealand? With contributions from leading commentators and analysts, Strategy and Security in the Asia-Pacific offers a comprehensive and authoritative introduction to the field.

The momentous events of the past year have changed the political face of the globe: the ideological struggle that dominated the world for most of this century is over; erstwhile mortal enemies have become friends and partners. But old attitudes have survived and modern weapons are in abundance. New foci of conflict have emerged; military confrontations are taking place; the world is still in turmoil.The welcome deep cuts in nuclear weapons have still left thousands of warheads in the arsenals, and the spread of these weapons to new states would further increase the danger of a nuclear confrontation.The release of the pressure pent-up under oppressive regimes created a powerful drive for independence, often achieved only after bloody wars. Many of the new states are economically non-viable: poverty and famine are frequent adjuncts of independence.If military conflicts are to be avoided, a comprehensive strategy must be formulated to improve the standards of living in the developing countries and enhance their security. A strategy is also needed to protect the environment from the effects of further industrialization and greater use of energy. What is needed is a concept of a sustainable, equitable and liveable world for all its inhabitants.All these problems were analysed by scientists and scholars who met at a Pugwash Conference. The arguments used by them and the proposed solutions are presented in this book under six themes: World Peace; Nuclear Disarmament Issues; Arms Control; Security in the Asia-Pacific Region; Development Strategies and World Economic Order; Energy and the Environment.

This book is based on the proceedings of the National Security Seminar 2011 conducted at the USI from 17 to 18 Nov 2011. The views of eminent speakers from across the globe have been covered on the following themes:- • Strategic and Security Environment in the Asia Pacific Region • Existing Political and Economic Frameworks in the Asia Pacific: Have they fulfilled regional aspirations? • Bringing an Enduring Security Architecture for the Asia Pacific This book intends to examine the current state and possible future trajectory of efforts to create an Asia Pacific security architecture. The problems are challenging but not insurmountable. Efforts to build an appropriate security architecture would certainly be in the interest of the region.

The field of security studies is undergoing a major re-evaluation in the post-Cold War era, and this has important implications for the region. The security dangers of the 1990s and beyond are different and more complex than those of the Cold War, and strategic thinkers both in the academic and policy-making spheres must begin to understand the new environment lest they fall into the old trap of planning for the next conflict based on the conditions of the last conflict. This book is designed to survey the new environment, assessing what has changed and what remains the same, and suggesting what types of demands future strategists will face.

This is an unparallelled analysis of the state of the United Nations peace operations and their impact on Asian security.This new volume examines new strategies being adopted by the UN; including doctrinal shifts in peace operation, and assesses the division of labour between the UN, regional organisation and non-governmental organisations/actors. Based on selected papers from mostly Asian scholars, the book offers regional perspectives from South, Southeast and Northeast Asia on the changing nature of UN Peace operations and analyses some of the core issues that are of critical relevance to regional security in Asia. In addition it reveals interesting new insights on the new players in the area of peace operations – i.e. China and Japan and considers their projected roles as defined by their respective security concepts. It also delves into issues of possible areas of concern caused by the new activism of these regional powers in peace operations. Finally, the book also revisits the significant lessons learnt from the UN experience in Cambodia and East Timor and examines their impact on future directions of peace operations. This book was previously published as a special issue of the leading journal International Peacekeeping.

Pacific Asia rivals the Middle East and South Asia as the most insecure region on earth today. This timely volume presents a survey of major issues confronting the Asia-Pacific region as it enters the new millennium: ASEAN's role in collective security; concerns over China and the disputed territories in the South China Sea; conflict on the Korean peninsula; Japan's role in the post-Cold War security order; United States' interests in Pacific security; and the relationship between Asian and European countries and governmental organizations.

This definitive volume assembles more than twenty leading Indo-Pacific maritime scholars and emerging experts to deliver fresh perspectives on maritime cooperation and security. Topics include naval activities, law of the sea, environmental protection, international cooperation, and sub-regional maritime agendas.

In 2016, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly and the UN Security Council respectively adopted resolutions on the review of the UN peacebuilding architecture, and the concept of 'sustaining peace' was formally presented. Since then, the 'sustaining peace' agenda has gradually become the core strategy of the peace cause of the UN. The agenda for sustaining peace emphasizes capacity-building for conflict prevention at the regional level.Faced with the escalation of the international security challenge, regional organizations are increasingly playing a prominent role. They have become important participants in the international peace and security agenda by enhancing cooperation with the UN. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as the centre of regional cooperation processes in the Asia-Pacific, established a series of norms and instruments related to conflict prevention. This book intends to promote discussions on linking conflict prevention and/or preventive diplomacy activities in the region with the sustaining peace agenda promoted by both the ASEAN on a regional scale and the UN on a global scale.In a collaboration between the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (ASEAN-IPR) and China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU), the book provides discussions from the perspective of both Chinese as well as ASEAN scholars on traditional, as well as emerging, topics on sustaining peace, as well as conflict prevention, conflict management, and conflict resolution.