Security Expectations, Economic Benefits and East Asian Security

　　Abstract: After the Cold War, instead of stumbling into a period of tensions and conflict, East Asia entered a period of extended peace. Attempts to explain the East Asian security framework have emphasized its structural or procedural components, but fall short in terms of explaining unstable elements inherent to it and internal motivating factors and institutions within the framework. This article proposes a functional explanation for East Asian security, arguing that America and China respectively provide the region with two important public goods: security expectations and economic benefits. It is these goods which are the foundation of the present security order in East Asia. With China’s rise and America’s “return” to East Asia, new frictions have emerged in the region caused by changing modes of provision of regional public goods and conflicts over the provision of such goods. This has generated instabilities within the region’s security framework. As a means of responding to these uncertainties, while continuing to provide the region with economic benefits conducive to stability, China also needs undertake political and military initiatives that can provide positive security guarantees. This will establish a new foundation for regional security, ensure stability in the region, and ease concerns related to China’s rise.

　　Author: Liu Feng is a Lecturer in the Department of International Relations at Nankai University