ABSTRACT
The creation of increasing amounts of nuclear weapons and advances in conventional weaponry began to have a commanding effect on interstate relations. Whether the measurement is strategic, economic, or political, the changes that have taken place in East Asian interstate relations have been far-reaching. Successive Japanese administrations observed developments in Sino-Soviet relations and America's Asian policies with a mixture of concern and hope. In the 1980s, the most important factor shaping Asian politics is that the Soviet Union has become a global power with military capabilities roughly equal to those of the United States in the Pacific Asian region and elsewhere. The growth of the Soviet Union's military capabilities is apparent in Asia. Domestic and foreign policies are closely intertwined for the United States as for other nations. Technological modernization plays a role in China's efforts to move toward a more flexible position in the Sino-American-Soviet triangle.
