ABSTRACT
The conclusion ties together a number of themes which have run through the book, in order to provide a comprehensive overview of developments in Northeast Asia that relate to sovereignty and space, and thus the possibilities for community. First, the region and its states face a consistent slippage between the ideals of sovereign space and the territorialization of power, stemming from the multi-layered operation of the region in Northeast Asia. Second, the multi-layered nature of state authority means that local actors are able to reshape state practices in sensitive spaces. The chapter offers some suggestions for how they may be managed in order to operationalize the potential inherent in the Northeast Asian region, before the volume concludes by tracing out the effects and legacy of the Covid-19 crisis. Paradoxically, the fracturing of Northeast Asia associated with Covid-19, particularly regarding the circulation of populations, may offer possibilities for regional community development in the future. The book concludes with a brief postscript on the possible impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for the region.
