Soviet Influence in East Asia and the Pacific in the Coming Decade: Part II

Abstract

Although Europe remains the region of key concern, the Soviet Union has vital security interests in East Asia and the Pacific.¹ Over half of Soviet territory is in Siberia and the Soviet Far East. US forces capable of nuclear strikes on Soviet territory are based or home-ported in the region in Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Guam and other Pacific islands. China — the only Asian power with nuclear weapons — is a latent security problem for the USSR. And Japan — which has the third largest economy in the world — remains the most important US ally outside nato and identifies the Soviet Union as its most likely military threat.

‘Russia is a border state; it is the European frontier with Asia.’

S.M. SOLOVYOV, (nineteenth century Russian historian)

The views expressed in this Paper are not a statement of Australian Government policy.