ABSTRACT
Turning to the Pacific Basin, the relations among China, Japan, and the United States are more cordial today than probably at any other time in this century. While the bloody suppression of the prodemocracy demonstrators at Tiananmen Square has stemmed the forces of political liberalization in China, that country is likely to continue its military retrenchment and foreign cooperation in order to create and sustain a policy environment conducive to rapid economic modernization. China’s capitalist neighbors in East Asia have featured some of the most dynamic economies in the world. Led by Japan, these modern ‘trading’ nations (such as South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong) have eschewed traditional instruments of military assertion and force projection abroad in favor of commercial expansion and economic competitiveness. Trade protectionism rather than military aggression poses a more realistic danger to their national security.
