East Asia on the Brink? The Impact of the Arms Trade and Nationalism on Regional Security

Rapidly rising military expenditures, entrenched regional rivalries, intractable territorial disputes, and a surge in nationalism across East Asia today have often been compared with Europe on the eve of World War I. Prospects for heightened regional tensions certainly remain high, which will force the United States to adjust its own strategy as a Pacific power. Join us for a discussion on the newly emerging security agenda in East Asia to assess how rising nationalism in China, Japan, and South Korea is complicating U.S. alliance management. The dynamics of the arms trade in East Asia and how U.S. policies on arms exports may be inadvertently undermining other aspects of U.S. strategy for the region will also be analyzed.

Speakers:

Thomas Berger
fellow, Wilson Center and professor of International Relations, Boston University

Jonathan Caverley
fellow, Wilson Center and research associate, Securities Studies Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Speakers:

Robert Hathaway
public policy fellow and former director, Asia Program, Wilson Center