Question

What are the most pressing political and/or security issues in Asia? Please be specific.

Answer 1

As external forces play an increasing role in national decision-making, globalization continues to erode the power of governments within the region. Regional governments' potential progress will depend on their ability to take advantage of the opportunities generated by globalisation, rather than manipulating them. Similarly, policymakers must be prepared to meet the new looming political challenges that globalization produces.

The rise of China as a global force poses a formidable challenge for the Asia-Pacific order. Chinese participants maintained that there is often misunderstanding of their country. Playing up a Chinese military threat is mistaken, they argued, because China will continue to concentrate on its own growth and modernization over the short and medium term. Nonetheless, the rise of China will continue to strain the current international ties framework

While the risks of military conflict between states are small, conflict between states is through. The area faces a large array of threats. Please change security planning accordingly.
Global collaboration and communication do not provide an alternative. Some of the current security threats are transnational in nature and origin, and no country can address them by itself.

The diversity of the Asia Pacific region requires it to establish its own security architecture; it can not import solutions, such as an Asia Pacific NATO. Any successful process must respect the diversity and the distinctive Asian way of resolving emerging disputes.

The problem of the balance between sovereignty and humanitarian interference is another topic which has dogged the region. The dilemma is especially acute for ASEAN because of the importance attached to the doctrine of non-interference in the affairs of member states which has driven the organization since it was established.