Outlook and Preface on the East Asian Community

Abstract

In response to the mandatory adoption of national security bills in September 2015 and their enforcement in March 2016, this paper aims to present an alternative concept of security based on the “hope” according to the Preamble and Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution. In doing so, it expects to provide new perspectives regarding “what is to be desired” and “what can be done,” in particular concerning students campaigning against national security bills.

Therefore, avoiding any criticism of the “unconstitutionality of the right to collective self-defense” and the “destruction of constitutionalism,” the principal arguments in the current Diet debate, this paper focuses on and analyzes East Asia. In particular, possible alternatives to counter “war legislation” will be examined. For, although we insist on being pro-Constitution, we have never experienced the necessity of embodying the common security and human security prescribed in the Preamble of the Constitution as importantly as we do today. The current paper employs this perspective to critically analyze the “three briefs” that the Abe administration relies on and further examine the viability of alternative security policy by evaluating the approaches toward “common security” or “win-win security” and against “antagonism and intimidation” or “zero-sum theory of national defense.”

In Europe, a Common Foreign and Security Policy model has been developed in accordance with the European Union. In Southeast Asia as well, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, albeit still developing, is moving in the same direction. Considering these, this paper will propose an “East Asian Community” as a second track apart from the alliance, deterrence, and subordination of the examined nations.