The Asia-Pacific region stands out as a geography where the fault lines of global security are located and which affects the basis of international power struggles. Indeed, there are many reasons for this. The first is the presence of a large, hegemonic state like China, which aims to compete with the Western-based rules-based international order and is the second largest economy in the world.[1] Another reason is that one of the world’s most important nuclear powers, North Korea, is also located in this region. In addition to all these, Japan, the world’s third largest economy, is also located in this region.[2]
On the other hand, France’s islands in the region give it influence in the Asia-Pacific region. At the same time, Australia, a geographically eastern but intellectually Western state integrated into the Anglo-Saxon world, is also located in this region.
Moreover, it is known that the region harbors many crises and disputes due to issues such as the Kuril Islands Issue between Japan and Russia, the Taiwan Crisis between China and Taiwan, the Dokdo and Takeshima Islands Problem between Japan and South Korea, which still maintains its importance and relevance as a historical problem, legitimacy debates in the South China Sea in the context of the Nine-Dash Line issue, border disputes between North Korea and South Korea, and Pyongyang’s growing nuclear power and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Tests. All of these put the region at the center of global political debates.
All these issues, of course, have led to increased interest in the region by the United States of America (USA) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In particular, the economic-based global competition between Beijing and Washington underpins the West’s regional policy. This is because the West, and the United States in particular, has been forging various alliances in order to increase its influence in the region.
Indeed, the Western Pole states allied with the United States include South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Australia, Indonesia and New Zealand. As expected, these states cooperate with the US and NATO in the framework of their opposition to China and North Korea. This is exemplified by the drills organized in cooperation between Seoul, Tokyo and Washington in opposition to North Korea.[3]
At the same time, QUAD, launched in 2007 between the US, Australia, India and Japan, is one of the most influential Western alliances in the region.[4] In addition, the AUKUS Pact,[5] established by Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States in 2021, is also an important indicator of this unity. These alliances are based on the idea of encircling China, putting pressure on Beijing over the South China Sea, and creating a deterrent conjuncture against Beijing, especially with the Taiwan Issue. On the other hand, it can be said that the North Korea factor also creates a legitimate ground for these alliances.
In conclusion, the Asia-Pacific will continue to be one of the most dynamic regions of global politics. China continues to grow and is expected to overtake the US both economically and militarily in the near future. North Korea is also continuing its nuclear development activities. At the same time, the interest of the US in particular and the West in general in the region is growing. Therefore, it can be predicted that the Asia-Pacific region will continue to be the primary playing field of the global power struggle.
[1] “The World’s Largest Economies”, World Data Info, https://www.worlddata.info/largest-economies.php, (Date of Accession: 03.05.2023).
[2] “Is It time to Accept North Korea Is A Nuclear Power”, Cable News Network, https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/28/asia/north-korea-nuclear-threat-solution-analysis-intl-hnk/index.html, (Date of Accession: 03.05.2023).
[3] “South Korea, US, Japan Hold Anti – North Korea Submarşne Drill, Associated Press News, https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-us-japan-north-korea-drills-5ce09e9d8b7a0f76b043588b5745716e, (Date of Accession: 3.05.2023).
[4] “No Plans to Add New Members to QUAD Grouping Now: White House”, The Times of India, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/no-plans-to-add-new-members-to-quad-grouping-now-white-house/articleshow/99924649.cms?from=mdr, (Date of Accession: 03.05.2023).
[5] “AUKUS Deal: US, UK, and Australia Agree on Nuclear Submarine Project”, British Broadcasting Corpooration, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-64945819, (Date of Accession: 03.05.2023)
