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The International Politics of the Asia-Pacific This fully revised fourth edition of Michael Yahuda’s successful textbook brings the subject up-to-date, introducing students to the international politics of the Asia-Pacific region since 1945. Following an evaluation of the legacy of the Cold War the author assesses the uncertainties of the post-Cold War era, the weakening of America by its prolonged warfare in the greater Middle East, by the enlarged war on terror and by the financial crisis of 2007–8. Amid the decline of the liberal world order and the rise of China, the author examines Chinese attempts to establish a new order. Analyzing politics in terms of the interplay between global, regional and local developments, this new edition also features, • Discussion and evaluation of the Trump presidency and its implications for the Asia-Pacific region. • Examination of the continued rise of China, especially under the more assertive personal Party dictatorship of Xi Jinping and its impact on the region. • Analysis of the resurgence of Japan as a major power and its attempt to counter China’s assertiveness by a coalition of regional democracies. • Assessments of the repercussions of these developments on the regional ‘hotspots’ of the Korea Peninsula, a democratic Taiwan and a disjointed Southeast Asia. This new fourth edition will continue to be a core text for students of Asian politics, international relations and Cold War history. Michael Yahuda is Professor Emeritus of International Relations at the London School of Economics, UK, and visiting scholar at the Sigur Center for Asian Studies, The Elliot School, George Washington University, USA. Politics in Asia series China and Transboundary Water Politics in Asia Edited by Hongzhou Zhang and Mingjiang Li The Road to Federalism in Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka Finding the Middle Ground Michael G Breen US-China Competition and the South China Sea Disputes Edited by Huiyun Feng and Kai He National Identity and Great-Power Status in Russia and Japan Non-Western Challengers to the Liberal International Order Tadashi Anno Distributive Politics in Malaysia Maintaining Authoritarian Party Dominance Hidekuni Washida Japan’s Island Troubles with China and Korea Prospects and Challenges for Resolution Victor Teo and Haruko Satoh Regional environmental politics in Northeast Asia Conflict and Cooperation JeongWon Bourdais Park The International Politics of the Asia-Pacific Fourth and Revised Edition Michael Yahuda For the full list of titles in the series, visit: www.routledge.com/Politics-in-Asia/ book-series/PIA The International Politics of the Asia-Pacific Fourth and Revised Edition Michael Yahuda Fourth edition published 2019 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN and by Routledge 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2019 Michael Yahuda The right of Michael Yahuda to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. First edition published by RoutledgeCurzon 1996 Third edition published by Routledge 2011 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record has been requested for this book ISBN: 978-1-138-64706-0 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-138-64707-7 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-54329-1 (ebk) Typeset in Times New Roman by Apex CoVantage, LLC To my wife Ellen Contents List of illustrations viii Acknowledgments ix 1 Introduction 1 2 The impact of the Cold War on the Asia-Pacific 13 3 From unipolarity to uncertainty: 1991–2018 53 4 The United States and the post–Cold War transformation 94 5 China: The ascent to global economic, political and military influence 139 6 Japan: Re-emergence after a long decline 184 7 DPRK and ROK: Issues of identity 224 8 Democratization and the evolution of Taiwan 239 9 Southeast Asia: America’s relative decline and China’s rise 255 10 Conclusion: Looking ahead 277 Index 286 Illustrations Maps 1.1 The Asia-Pacific Region 5 3.1 The Sino-Bhutan Border 79 4.1 The Pacific Ocean 126 6.1 The Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands 204 9.1 South China Sea Islands 259 Figure 5.1 Aerial View of Woody Island 173 Acknowledgments As before, an enduring debt of gratitude is owed to the students, scholars and prac- titioners who contributed over the years to the annual seminars on the Asia-Pacific at the London School of Economics & Political Science, from which I learned a great deal in my 30 years at the LSE, before retiring in 2003. In particular I would like to register my indebtedness to my late colleague and a truly great scholar of the region, Michael Leifer, without whose constant encouragement this book would not have been written and whose advice greatly improved the first edition. A book of this breadth of subject matter that deals with developments of an enormous region over a period of some 73 years owes a great deal to the insights, observations and analyses of many people – too numerous to be acknowledged individually. But a special mention must be made of my colleague David Sham- baugh, whose scholarship, organizing abilities and advice have been a constant source of encouragement over many years. Thanks are also due to the Sigur Center for Asian Studies, of the Elliott School for International Affairs, the George Wash- ington University and its successive directors, for providing all the facilities one could wish for as a visiting scholar intent on writing. The editors at Routledge (now part of Taylor & Francis), notably Stephanie Rogers, deserve special thanks for their patience and gentle encouragement as they waited for this fourth (revised) edition beyond its due date. I must thank my wife Ellen, to whom this edition is dedicated, for her endurance of my prolonged absence working alone in my study and even more for her invaluable contribution as a note-taker of the numerous interviews I conducted with officials and scholars in many countries of Asia over the years. These interviews have been invaluable in shaping my understanding of the politics of the region. My first visit to the region was in the summer of 1968 during China’s Cultural Revolution, when I arrived on a six-week visit to Hong Kong to the news of bodies floating to local shores from China’s Pearl River. I have since visited the region and its many countries on average at least once every two years. Many of the senior officials and distinguished scholars that I have interviewed have become good friends and I do not wish to list their names, as many of them gave me privileged information and it would not be right to cause them difficulties or embarrassment. Of course, I alone am responsible for any shortcomings the book may have.