ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the core states of China, South Korea, and Japan. Traditional East Asian societies are often referred to as Sino-centric, signifying the centrality of Chinese culture over two millennia. Civil war between Communist and Nationalist forces ended with the retreat of the Nationalists to Taiwan and the establishment of the People's Republic of China on the mainland in 1949. The stated objectives of the occupation were demilitarization and democratization, and during the first two years, progressive reforms were successfully instituted. Japan is a fully functioning democracy where civil rights are constitutionally guaranteed. For most of the twentieth century authoritarian governments dominated the Korean peninsula. Following the defeat of the Nationalists in 1949, under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, China eliminated potential sources of opposition, initiated land reform, and imposed state control over the economy.
