The Implications of Political and Security Challenges in the Asia-Pacific Region and Beyond

For the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union that the United States is being challenged by a consummate power challenger such as China. The rise of China along with other middle powers has subsequently altered the status quo of unipolar international order within the past decades. Small states found themselves stuck and struggling with the effects of superpowers’ rivalry, even more intense in the Asia-Pacific region, which had never been considered an important region in international politics before. Furthermore, other issues around the Asia-Pacific region such as the complication of the Taiwan Strait, the nuclear threat in the Korean Peninsula, the role of middle powers such as India and Japan, geopolitical competition in Southeast Asia and extending to the Mekong Sub-region, and ASEAN’s challenges remain as critical factors. ASEAN in particular, whose initial mandate was founded to maintain peace and stability in the region has constantly found itself being criticized by externals for its inability to provide substantive solutions for issues within its own backyard such as the Myanmar political deadlock, South China Sea dispute, and so on.

Beyond Asia-Pacific, the European continent is now being confronted by a risky conjuncture. The invasion of Russia on Ukraine which begins in February 2022 still seems far from conclusive. The Russia-Ukraine war posed the fear of potential nuclear escalation and World War III if the crisis is not managed carefully. With the (direct or indirect) involvement of the United States and other European countries in this war, we are now witnessing a threatful political- security turning point.

In this sixth volume of the Diplomatic Briefing, the implications of political and security challenges in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond have been framed as the theme of the publication. We have mobilized scholars and experts across the region to examine different political and security matters and events. Various underlying critical problems and constraints were identified and discussed following thorough and close observation.

We hope that the contents presented in this publication will be able to contribute to your intellectual stimuli. We would also appreciate your constructive feedback on any particular articles and/or this whole volume.

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