Review of the Field and Theoretical Framework

Abstract

The bulk of existing research on peace and security in East Asia leans towards the realist position. In particular, there are many studies with a geopolitical focus on China’s role in Asia that paint a gloomy picture of the future of the region (Friedberg 1993–4; Johnston 2003). The predictions of a post-Cold War East Asia embroiled in everlasting conflict have so far not materialised. Instead the region has become more integrated and focused on multilateralism and multilateral cooperation. To quote Zha and Hu, ‘[t]he plea from adherents to the realist school that we need to “just wait” for them to be proved correct deserves serious questioning now that over a decade of intra-regional developments have pointed to a different, if not opposite, result’ (Zha and Hu 2006: 24; see also Kang 2003; Peou 2002; Zha and Hu 2006: especially chapters 1 and 2).