Military Modernisation And Buildup In The Asia Pacific

The Asia Pacific region has been at peace for more than 35 years. The prosperity of the nations in the region has been built on that fact. The prosperity has enabled the Asia Pacific to take a much more prominent place in the world, and has spurred the rise of China as a great global power. This growth also has the potential to disrupt the equilibrium of the region. We are already seeing signs of this with the increased tensions in the East China Sea and the South China Sea. The combination of increased wealth and rising tensions is leading to an arms build-up in the region. These developments pose a deep dilemma for the nations of the region; how to preserve the basic conditions for continued prosperity. So there is a choice. Nations can continue the arms race, or they can seek new ways to preserve stability while recognising that the balance of power in the region is changing. This article proposes the progressive development of an inclusive security architecture that enables every nation to contribute to the stability of the region. It will not look like NATO; rather it will reflect the dynamics of the Asia Pacific. The achievement of this goal will provide the conditions to limit the growth of arms, and more importantly will preserve the peace and stability upon which billions of people depend for the security of their future.

This book proposes a novel theoretical framework of "interactive arming" in order to explain armament dynamics in contemporary Asia. Frequently, the modernisation of contemporary naval forces in Asia is described as an "arms race," with the underlying assumption being that weapons acquisitions and increases in defence expenditure are competitive and bilateral and due to conflicting purposes or mutual fears. This book argues that the concept of an arms race is an unsuitable one for explaining contemporary military modernisation in 21st-century Asia. Instead, it proposes a novel and innovative concept of "interactive arming" and argues that what drives conflict is political rivalry, not weapons acquisitions. Instead of perceiving arming as abnormal behaviour, the book views arming as a natural strategic behaviour of states and military modernisation as a basic requirement for a state’s ability to survive. This book will be of much interest to students of Asian security, strategic studies and international relations in general.

Focuses on the defense capabilities of key Asian powers in the context of their grand strategies. Through a combination of country, regional, and topical studies, the book assesses how Asian states are modernizing their military programs in response to China's rise as a regional power, the war on terrorism, changes in U.S. force posture, the revolution in military affairs, and local security dilemmas. In addition to this central theme, each chapter examines the changing balance of power in Asia and identifies likely threats and opportunities that may arise in the next five years.

Major changes in East Asia have placed the region near the top of the World’s strategic agenda. East Asia has until recently experienced the fastest regional economic growth rate in the world for many years. Economic co-operation has been flourishing and economic interests have become the major reason in reshaping East Asian international relations. However, there have also been changes in the security environment, due to many factors, such as the reduction of US forces in East Asia, the disintegration of the Soviet Union (the decline of the Soviet Union’s presence in the region had led to renewed attention to traditional and potential rivalries among the major East Asian powers), and the concern of China’s hegemonistic ambitions.

A RAND study analyzed Chinese and U.S. military capabilities in two scenarios (Taiwan and the Spratly Islands) from 1996 to 2017, finding that trends in most, but not all, areas run strongly against the United States. While U.S. aggregate power remains greater than China’s, distance and geography affect outcomes. China is capable of challenging U.S. military dominance on its immediate periphery—and its reach is likely to grow in the years ahead.

David Shambaugh, a leading international authority on Chinese strategic and military affairs, offers the most comprehensive and insightful assessment to date of the Chinese military. The result of a decade's research, Modernizing China's Military comes at a crucial moment in history, one when international attention is increasingly focused on the rise of Chinese military power. Basing his analysis on an unprecedented use of Chinese military publications and interviews with People's Liberation Army (PLA) officers, Shambaugh addresses important questions about Chinese strategic intentions and military capabilities--questions that are of key concern for government policymakers as well as strategic analysts and a concerned public.

This book addresses certain existing issues related to different types of security and identity and how they can be resolved by global governance in contemporary times and its peaceful dimensions including security concerns relevant to the national interest. This book is also an effort to examine the present security situation by identifying variant existing perception that leads to serious problems of vulnerability of sovereign nation- India and the World. The issues discussed here have vital implications over the region’s security that raises pertinent questions related to human security and human survival. The papers are contributed by eminent academicians and scholars and it is presenting most of the relevant topics like- Comprehensive Analysis of Traditional Security Challenges and Praxis: India and the Asia-Pacific Region’s Security Dynamics, The Changing Discourses on Hegemony and Identity and the Future of International Order, An Analytical Study of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Water and Sanitation Sectors in the Indian Economy, Identity Politics from an Indian Perspective, Displacement And Rehabilitation: A Take At G20 Summit In Delhi And Its Consequences, Assessing India-Taiwan relations in the context of the Taiwan Strait Situation, Traditional Knowledge and Intellectual Property Rights Protection: Challenges and Potential solutions in Indian Perspective, The Impact of Covid-19 on Media and Society, India: Roadmap to Achieve the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) by 2030, Child Security and Global Governance, Heath Crisis of Syrians since 2011: An Analysis, Drug Trafficking as Transnational and Non-traditional Threat for India’s Border Security, Child Security and Global Governance, Governance and Education, Maritime Security of India in the Indo-Pacific: Challenges, Capabilities iii and Prospects, German Diaspora In Russia: A Potential Force In International Relations, Identity Politics And Its Impact On Economy (Comparative Analysis), Understanding the Sociology of Healthcare Data Breaches and its Implications to Human Identity and Security in Contemporary Society – A Critical Study, Current South Asian Security-related Issues: Security Problems in the Emergence of the Twenty- first Century, Honour Killing and Social Death In India: A Critical Analysis.