Abstract
The post-cold war world order remains in a state of flux. On the level of the international society consisting of nation states, there has been a continuous rise and fall of big powers. In terms of the history of civilisations, the superior position of the west since the industrial revolution seems to be eroding. While the nation states are forming new international organisations to meet the challenges of globalisation, actors in the market and civil society have become increasingly active beyond national boundaries. Considering these factors, change in the global or regional order seems inevitable.
However, if we define international order as a state in which its members share a basic set of values, norms, institutions and a collective goal, and in which there is regularity in the members' behaviour and their relationships, then a change in the distribution of power does not necessarily alter the international order. Rather, the latter depends on a complex set of factors, such as the policies of the major status quo power, how the values and norms of the rising power match those of the existing order, and whether the rising power intends to change the status quo or not.
There are two phenomena that could impact largely on the future of the East Asian order. First is the rise of China. China appears not to have the intention now to squarely challenge the status quo in East Asia, the military basis of which is the Japan-US alliance. However, the shift in the distribution of power seems to have changed the behavioural pattern of the nations in the region. On the one hand, China has actually gained from the status quo and finds its interest in supporting it. However, there is also concern that if China increases its power without materialising universal values such as human rights or rule of law, the basis of the current international order could be undermined. It is hard to foresee China's future, and to that extent East Asia's future remains uncertain.
Another question is how regionalism and regional institutionalisation are, or are not, influencing the East Asian order. Some argue that the newly emerging regional frameworks are changing or at least have the potential to change the regional order, while others deny this. One of the focal poi in the following articles is the so-called ASEAN way; some argue that the principle of non-interference is eroding, while others insist that this principle still hinders the development of a collective identity.
The path to an East Asian order remains unclear, but one point is certain: this is a topic that requires collaboration of studies in various areas of international relations, including history, area studies, theory, and non-state actors.
