Asia-Pacific in the New World Order critically explores the notion that a distinctive regional power bloc is developing linking countries bordering the Pacific, with East Asia at its core. The volume sheds light on the complex interplay between global, regional and national forces which have transformed the Asia-Pacific arena into one of the most dynamic and turbulent regions in the world. Historical narratives alongside geopolitical and geoeconomic perspectives are deployed to examine the shifting pattern of power relations and security structures across the region, set within a wider world context. * What are the primary security problems of the region and how are they being resolved? * Does the dynamic growth of the region, and particularly the rise of China, pose a challenge to existing structures of world order? * Is an Asia-Pacific regional 'community' developing, or is the diversity of the region, and its web of global connections, making co-operation difficult? * What role do 'Asian values' play in the construction of regional arrangements such as APEC and ASEAN?
The text has a strong interdisciplinary flavour drawing on analytical approaches from the international relations, political economy and political geography literature. Authors have been drawn from the Asia-Pacific region and the UK and all are established scholars in their specialist fields. The text has been designed for undergraduates and postgraduates studying the Asia-Pacific. It has a clear accessible style and allows students to interrogate issues and deveolp their own understanding. Edited by Anthony McGrew, Senior Lecturer in Government, and Christopher Brook, Lecturer in Geography, both at the Open University, UK. Anthony McGrew Open University, UK; Colin Mackerras Griffith University, Australia; Javed Maswood Griffith University; Australia; Barry Buzan Westminster University, UK;