Post-Cold War Security of Japan through ARF

Post-Cold War Security of Japan through ARF

The end of the Cold War brought a dramatic turn in the world history. The collapse of bipolar balance brought the need to normalize poor diplomatic relations and also to reassure and mature pre-existing strong diplomatic ties between states. Japan was certainly not an exception to this need. The importance of playing a lager role in regional and global security as a way of ensuring its security interests grew in Japan as the proceeding balance of power, or pre-existing security, became unreliable to her. Indeed, she initiated the regional security entity called the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) to strengthen Asia-Pacific security. But why did Japan take the role to propose such an institution? What is Japan’s stake in this regional security entity? Why is the entity based on multilateralism? And finally, how much can the ARF achieve to strengthen Asia security?

Questions like these are crucial to be answered in examining Japan’s security relations with her neighbor Asian countries. In this paper, I argue that multilateral regional security entity is crucial and is the only way to secure herself in the post-Cold War era. The ARF, thereby, is a necessary international institution to succeed in guaranteeing profitable diplomatic relations for Japan as well as other countries including Asian and non-Asian states. For Japan, the end of the Cold War meant a shift from reactive state to cautious leader to become a “normal country,” as a politician Ichiro Ozawa puts, that is acceptable to the world and the ARF is the best possible opportunity for Japan to attain such a goal.

During the Cold War, Japan pursued an isolationist and much of a passive strategy in regional security...

... middle of paper ...

...t/pubs/ib49.html

4. Midford, Paul. “Japan’s leadership role in East Asian security multilateralism: the Nakayama proposal and the logic of reassurance.” The Pacific Review 13.3 (2000): 367-397.

5. Ortuoste, C, Maria. “Reviewing the ASEAN Regional Forum and its Role in Southeast Asian Security.” Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. 27 Sept. 2000. 24 Mar. 2001. http://www.apcss.org/Paper_Reviewing_ASEAN_Forum.htm

6. Satoh, Yukio. “Asian-Pacific Process for Stability and Security.” Japan’s Post Gulf International Initiatives. Japan: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aug. 1991: 34-45.

7. Smith, J. Gary. “Multilateralism and Regional Security in Asia: The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and APEC’s Geopolitical Value.” The Weatherhead Center for International Affairs No.97-2 Feb. 1997. 24 Mar. 2001. http://data.fas.harvard.edu/cfia/cfiapubs/pdfs/97-02.pdf