ABSTRACT

In spite of the world’s attention having been focused on Central Asia and the Middle East in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 simultaneous terror attacks on the United States, a significant number of potential key points of international conflict remain congregated in the Asia-Pacific region. These include the nuclear stand-off with North Korea; uncertainties associated with China’s rising economic, political, and military power; the potential flashpoint of Taiwan; and incidences of Islamic extremism and terrorist activity in Southeast Asia. Overarching these issues is the question of a gradual systemic change, as the rise of China impinges upon the influence of the United States, the incumbent dominant power in the region. The security of the Asia-Pacific region thus rests in large part upon the United States and China, both in the sense of their involvement in specific areas of potential conflict, especially the Korean Peninsula and Taiwan, and also in terms of ongoing structural changes in the balance of power.