Security approaches in East Asia: Analyzing counter positions over power balance
| Autor | María Nohelia Parra Contreras |
| Cargo | Magíster en Ciencias Políticas, Universidad de los Andes (Venezuela) |
| Páginas | 135-152 |
Security approaches in East Asia:
Analyzing counter positions over
power balance
María Nohelia Parra Contreras*
* Magíster en Ciencias Políticas, Universidad de los Andes (Venezuela). Docente-investigadora, Universidad de Los
Andes (Venezuela). [noheliaparra@gmail.com]; [https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8357-1834].
Recibido: 26 de enero de 2022 / Modificado: 28 de marzo de 2022 / Aceptado: 4 de abril de 2022
Para citar este artículo:
Parra Contreras, M. N. (2022). Security approaches in East Asia: Analyzing counter positions over power balance.
Oasis, 36, 135-152.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18601/16577558.n36.09
ABSTRACT
East Asia is a region divided into two main
poles of influence; China and the pro-Western
nations led by countries such as Japan. The for-
mer being one of the most powerful in terms of
political, economic, and military capabilities.
Trying to balance power in an ideologically
bifurcated context, full of territorial conflicts
and opposing hegemonic interests, has been
a difficult task for States. It has been argued
that the rise of China as an economic and fi-
nancial hegemon with solid military capabili-
ties, including the nuclear one, is a matter of
concern not only for countries such as Japan.
It has also been a fundamental issue for the
Asian political agendas of Western powers
such as the United States. Considering this,
the aim of this article is to analyze the two
central security approaches in East Asia and
what motivations and objectives States have
to rival against each other.
Key words: East Asia; security issues;
China; Japan; power balance.
ENFOQUES DE SEGURIDAD EN ASIA
DEL ESTE: ANÁLISIS DE POSICIONES
CONTRARIAS SOBRE EL BALANCE DE PODER
RESUMEN
Asia Oriental es una región que ha estado di-
vidida por dos esferas de influencia, China y
la prooccidental representada por países como
Japón, la primera una de las más poderosas en
cuanto a sus capacidades políticas, económi-
136
OASIS, ISSN: 1657-7558, E-ISSN: 2346-2132, N° 36, Julio - Diciembre de 2022, pp. 135-152
María Nohelia Parra Contreras
cas y militares. Lograr el balance de poder en
un contexto ideológicamente dividido, en el
que abundan los conflictos territoriales y hay
intereses que se oponen, ha sido una tarea com-
plicada para los Estados. Ha sido ampliamente
discutido que el surgimiento de China como
un actor hegemónico con capacidades milita-
res robustas, incluida la nuclear, es materia de
preocupación para algunos países de la región,
entre ellos Japón, y para la configuración de la
agenda política asiática de actores occidentales
como Estados Unidos. El propósito de este
artículo es analizar los dos enfoques centrales
de seguridad en Asia Oriental y cuáles son las
motivaciones y los objetivos de los países para
rivalizar en torno al poder.
Palabras clave: Asia Oriental; asuntos
de seguridad; China; Japón; balance de poder.
INTRODUCTION
Power balance in a hegemonic context is chal-
lenging and always depends on the interests
and security models that States attach to. It has
been widely argued that hegemonic systems
can pose limits for power balance since hege-
mons tend to deploy both coercive and non-
coercive strategies to show other actors their
overwhelming capacity to shape international
decisions. Power balance dynamics is also a
key element when it comes to understanding
the security approaches of countries and the
aims they have to guarantee their survival in
a geopolitical unstable location. East Asia is a
diverse region in which nations compete and
struggle to keep a regional and global position
in terms of political, financial and military
power. In recent decades, the region has been
a location that has been widely studied by ana-
lysts because of the importance that countries
such as China, North Korea, South Korea, and
Japan have for the international system. How-
ever, for the purpose and limitations of this
paper, we will focus on studying the Japanese
and Chinese security models and strategies
since they represent the main two ideological
blocs, characterizing hegemonic stability and
power transition; the former represented by
the Japanese-Western bloc and the latter by
the Sino one.
Analyzing the security subject in East
Asia entails considering the United States and
its influence in the region. At this point, it is
necessary to emphasize the tensions between
the US and China. There are several factors
that have troubled the relation between the
two countries after the Cold War, the most
conspicuous ones are those related to inter-
national law and institutions, trade, and secu-
rity. Both nations have had different paths in
terms of their historical backgrounds, cultural
views, and material capabilities, which have
been pivotal to interpreting their opposing
security visions and strategies. China is likely
to be more unilateral, and the U.S. has shown
willingness in establishing bilateral and multi-
lateral agreements with countries from differ-
ent regions to ensure its own leadership. This
has definitely posed a threat for the stability of
East Asia because the pro-Western bloc, mainly
represented by Japan, and China have decided
to get into military security competition,
instead of negotiating or having diplomatic
approaches. The lack of willingness to solve
historical territorial disputes, the updating
of security plans, and the increase in defense
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