MN31 | Military Modernisation and Buildup in the Asia Pacific: The Case for Restraint

RSIS Monograph No. 31

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.