Search

The article focuses on the formation of a framework for security in the Asia Pacific. According to the author, setting the basic framework for a rudimentary Asian community calls for a clear understanding of the character of change in the security structures beyond the Cold War. He added that economics have been the weak sister and often the absent partner in the U.S. national security policymaking process during the Cold War. Moreover, the character of the U.S.-Japan alliance can be a major factor in regional security. He emphasized that tension between the demands of continuity and change in building a post-Cold War security structure can also become a major issue in meeting the needs of regional security.

While the United States is an important Asia-Pacific actor, its engagement with the region is complex and often difficult. Not only must US regionalism balance the diverse requirements of an ambitious policy agenda, but also US policy norms and priorities often clash with those of other regional actors. This has important implications for the capacity of the United States to provide regional leadership. Recent years have seen growing policy convergence between the United States and other Asia-Pacific actors, particularly in economic terms, but US regionalism continues to feature competition alongside collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article notes Singapore's view of the United States as an indispensable ally that provides security and a stable balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region. Singapore's foreign policy, the city-state's political and economic partnership with the U.S., and Singapore's diplomatic relations with China are discussed. Concerns related to issues during and after the Cold War are discussed. Singapore's political history, Foreign Minister S. Jayakumar, and founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew are mentioned.

The article offers information on the anticipation of instability in the Asia-Pacific Region. It is posed that frontmost among the strategic interests of the United States in East Asia is the maintenance of its political and economic access to the region. It is also mentioned that the Asia-Pacific Region accounts for about 44 percent of total world output. Moreover, the presence and influence of the United States in this area for the past ten years have had a major influence on the political and economic orientation of the region. Lastly, one primary factor involved in the possible instability in this region is the continuous arms race.