The East Asian International System in Transition：Historical Evolution and Structural Change

    Abstract：This article discusses the implications of the transitioning international system in light of findings in the current academic literature.This transition involves two elements：the components of the international system which are changing and the starting point and direction of the transition.The international system includes elements related to the members of the system, and elements specific to the system itself, i.e., power structures, institutional structures and conceptual structures. On the basis of this framework, this article considers the historical roots of the transition and the specific characteristics in which it manifests itself.With this as a background, it considers the transition of the East Asian international system.  