EAST ASIAN SECURITY: TWO VIEWS

Northeast Asia is the most dynamic sector of the
global economy, and the most dynamic element is
undoubtedly the rise of China. However, in this region
conflicts dating back to the Cold War have not yet found
resolution. The imbalance between economic progress
and political stagnation ensures that international
affairs pose many challenges to governments and
to students alike. The two papers herein, originally
presented at the Strategic Studies Institute’s 2007
annual Strategy Conference, highlight the challenges
posed by the rise of China and by the new possibility
for making progress on Korean issues due to the Six-
Party Agreements on North Korean proliferation of
February 13, 2007.
In keeping with the conference’s theme, “Regional
Challenges to American Security,” Dr. Chu Shulong, the
first paper’s author, presents a view of China’s interests,
goals, and perspectives on Northeast Asian issues. In
the second paper, one of America’s most insightful
writers on Asian security and Asian regionalism, Dr.
Gilbert Rozman, presents an American view of the
possibilities for forging a new political order around
Korea. Combined, the two papers underscore the
complexities and risks as well as the opportunities for
political leaders in Northeast Asia in contemplating
new policies and actions to readjust the region’s
political dynamics with its economic dynamism.