ESTABLISHING PEACE AND STABILITY IN EAST ASIA: CHALLENGES AND OPPRTUNITIES

8/10/2019 ESTABLISHING PEACE AND STABILITY IN EAST ASIA: CHALLENGES AND OPPRTUNITIES

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ESTABLISHING PEACE AND STABILITY IN EAST ASIA:

CHALLENGES AND OPPRTUNITIES

The Paper Assignment for the Subject of East Asia Regional Studies

By:

FIKRI FAHRUL FAIZ

1110114000029

DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SCIENCE

SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY

JAKARTA


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INTRODUCTION

In the current period, East Asia becomes an interesting region to discuss. The economy in East

Asia is the world most successful regional economies because it has emerged some of the

worlds largest and most prosperous countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore,

Taiwan and Hong Kong. East Asia nowdays is expected to become the growth center of the

world economy. It is essential to countries in the region to maintain peace and stability by

developing economic cooperation between them which is very beneficial. However, there are

several problems emerged as the obstacles toward regional peace and stability such as border and

territorial disputes, military and arm race, and nuclear issue. By this problem statement, this

research will focus on answering the research question as follow: how to establish peace and

stability in East Asia and what are the challenges and opportunities?


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ESTABLISHING PEACE AND STABILITY IN EAST ASIA: CHALLENGES AND

OPPRTUNITIES

East Asia is a eastern region of Asia contingent which geographically covers about 12,000,000

km2

or 15% bigger than Europe. East Asia has more than 1,5 billion people, or 40% of Asian

population, who live in this region.1 Based on this fact, East Asia becomes one of the most

populated regions in the world which then leads to the special value and bargain for the region,

especially as a market for economical flow.

East Asia, from a long time ago, also has played an important role in the world, especially in

economic sector. Historically, East Asia has already became a region that has strong economic

power when in the late 19thcentury, Japan rapidly transformed to a sole strong industrial power

country outside the United States and Europe. However, in World War II, Japan experienced the

collapse when the United States bombed two cities which then lead to the fall of its economic

power. In 1950, Japan economy recovered and rapidly growth and then became the worlds

second largest economy in 1980s.2

Another than that, in the early 1960s, Hong Kong under the British colony became one of the

powerful country in the field of economy by developing textile and manufacturing industries.

Furthermore, Hong Kong became a global financial center and shifted into a developed economy

in 1970s. Making Hong Kong as example, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore were

industrialized which then lead to rapid economic growth. These countries well know as the four

Asian Tiger at that time due to their successful to become East Asias developed economies.3In

addition, Macau also experienced rapid economic growth through textile manufacturing and

gambling industry that attracted many of foreign investment to participate in Macau.4

Currently, the growth in East Asia has shifted to China as a leader with its rapid economic

development. Since the end of the 20th century, Japan's role as the principal economic power in

1"East Asia," available in http://www.politica-china.org/imxd/noticias/doc/1239702281china_adb_outlook09.pdf,accessed on June 9, 2014.2Knichi Ohno, "The Economic Dvelopment of Japan," GRIPS Development Forum[on-line journal], availableonhttp://www.grips.ac.jp/forum/pdf06/EDJ.pdf; internet; accessed on June 9, 2014.3John Page, "The East Asian Miracle: Four Lessons for Development Policy," The World Bank, [on-line journal];available on http://www.nber.org/chapters/c11011.pdf; Internet; accessed on June 9, 2014.4Artur Santos, Outlook for the Macau Economy and its Tourism & Gaming Industry, Banco NacionalUltramarino, November 2, 2007


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the region has shifted China which became world's second largest economy in 2010. Indeed, in

1978, China was on of the poorest countries in the world, but China now becomes the world's

fastest-growing major economy, with growth rates averaging 10% over the past 30 years.5

INTERDEPENDENCE: Cooperation to Peace and Stability

East Asia has a huge opportunity in making a peace and stability situation in the region. This is

because there is a condition that every country has dependency toward other country situation.

The appropriate concept to describe it is interdependence.

The concept of interdependence about the relationship of every actor of the group is mutually

dependence on the others. Different with the concept dependence which means that an

international actor is determined or significantly affected by external forced, interdependence

means mutual dependence which in world politics refers to situations characterized by reciprocal

effects among states or among actors in different countries. Because of the condition of this

mutual dependence, the cooperation can arise between actors, or in international relations are

states.6

The situation of East Asia today is similar and be analyzed through the concept of

interdependence. Although there are conflicts and disputes emerged, East Asia countries will not

easily engage in open war between states. They prefer to build cooperation that will benefit for

then rather than to engage in open war which sacrifice a lot of states resources and costly.

Considering East Asia as a potential region, the policy takers will rationally choose a cooperation

approach, as the concept of interdependence influences to the policy in the region.

The appropriate example for this case is the relationship between China and Japan. Both

countries are engaged in East China Sea disputes that concern a territorial dispute over over

uninhabited islands which known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan, the Diaoyu in the People's

5Xiaodong Zhu, "Understanding Chinas Growth: Past, Present, and Future," Journal of Economic Prespective [on-line journal]; available on http://homes.chass.utoronto.ca/~xzhu/paper/JEP2012.pdf; Internet; accessed on June 10,2014.6Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye,Power and Interdepence, (Longman:1972), 9.


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Republic of China. Lately, the military tension of the dispute increases as China and Japan sent

fighter airplanes to monitor ships and other planes surrounding the area.7

The territorial dispute over the Diaoyu Islands is also dealing a blow to Japans tourism industry,

as anti-Japan sentiment has caused a slump in the number of Chinese tourists traveling to Japan.

All Nippon Airways Co. and Japan Airlines Co. have seen more than 50,000 cancellations by

group tourists from both Japan and China. According to the Japan National Tourism

Organization, there were just over one million Chinese tourists travelling to Japan in 2011, the

second largest group after South Korean tourists.8

However, this kind of dispute can not interrupt the economic relation between China and Japan

which has been growing rapidly over the past four decades after bilateral relation were

normalized in 1972. Since the introduction of Deng Xiaopings Open Door Policy in the late

1970s, China has developed into the worlds factory and has become an indispensable part of

the supply chain in Asia. In the decade after Chinas WTO accession in December 2001, China

developed a fast-growing consumer market. For Japanese companies, China is not just a key

offshore manufacturing base for Japanese producers of electronics and automobiles, but also an

increasingly attractive market for selling their products.9

According to data from the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), China had been the

third largest export market of Japan until 2007, when it overtook Europe. After the global

financial crisis, China became Japans largest export market in 2009. Japanese cars, electronics

and clothing have won a reputation in China for their reliability, good quality and where after-

sale services are applicable, high standards of services. Chinas total trade of US$3.6 trillion and

Japans total trade of US$1.7 trillion combined to make up 15% of the worlds total trade in

2011. Although direct bilateral trade between China and Japan accounted for less than 1% of the

worlds total, any crack in Sino-Japan economic ties would deal a severe blow to the two

7"Japanese prime minister accuses Chinese navy ship of 'dangerous' act," CNN, [on-line media]; available athttp://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/06/world/asia/china-japan-disputed-islands/; Internet; accessed in June 9, 2014.8"Sino-Japan Tensions and Why the Economics Matter to Hong Kong,"HKTDC Research, October 5 2012, [on-line journal]; available in http://economists-pick-research.hktdc.com/business-news/article/Research-Articles/Sino-Japan-tensions-and-why-the-economics-matter-to-Hong-Kong/rp/en/1/1X000000/1X09PRBG.htm; accessed onJune 11, 2014.9Ibid.


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economies, with an expected domino effect on the regional supply chain quickly affecting global

trade and damaging the global economy.10

Source: JETRO

Lately in 2014, in the middle of East China Sea disputes, Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe,

said China was a vital economic partner and not declining that China is Japan's largest trading

partner, although he criticized China for trying to change the status quo with the force in

maritime disputes. In addition, he also said that both countries are in inseparable relations

economically and China's growth is a chance not only for Japan, but also for the world.11

This example provides a proof that current policy takers are rationally prefer to a cooperation

relation rather than open war as previous period. Especially in East Asia, the basic nature of the

region that has an independence relation has brought them in establishing a regional peace and

stability under cooperation they made.

Moreover, economic cooperation becomes the first choice for East Asia countries which bring

them closely tied to the world economy. In the post Cold War period, states are preferred to

develop an economic cooperation and override war as previous periods. This has been proven

trough Asian Miracle in 1993, in which economy in East Asia region experienced a positive

10Ibid.11Kiyoshi Takenaka, "Japan's Abe dubs China vital partner amid territorial disputes,"Reuters, April 17, 2014 [on-line media]; available inhttp://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/17/us-japan-china-idUSBREA3G0A820140417;accessed on June 12, 2014.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/17/us-japan-china-idUSBREA3G0A820140417http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/17/us-japan-china-idUSBREA3G0A820140417http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/17/us-japan-china-idUSBREA3G0A820140417http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/17/us-japan-china-idUSBREA3G0A820140417


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trend with a huge increasing number. This positive trend also continued until today which then

since the global financial crisis, East Asia considered as worlds main engine together with

Pacific states. Furthermore, based on World Bank East Asia and Pacific Regional Vice Presiden,

Axel van Trotsenburg, a 2014 stronger growth will help the regional expand at a relatively steady

pace while adjusting to tighter global financial conditions.12

The East Asia economy also becomes the world most successful regional economies due to the

fact that East Asia has emerged some of the worlds largest and most prosperous countries such

as China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong.13Since the beginning of the

industrial revolution in the late 18th century, Europe was the center of the world economy. Then,

in the mid-20th century, which was the era of automobiles and oil, the United States emerged as

the new core of the world economy. Now, in the 21st century, East Asia is expected to become

the growth center of the world economy. The fact that based on the International Monetary Fund

(IMF) database, the GDP of East Asia caught up of the United States in 2008, and its economic

growth is still developing now days. According to IMF estimates, the rapid growth of East Asia,

centering on emerging countries such as China and India, will continue in the future.14

12East Asian Economies Expected to Grow at a Stable Pace in 2014[on-line database]; available athttp://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/04/07/east-asian-economies-expected-to-grow-at-a-stable-pace-in-2014;accessed on June 14201413An International Survey of Modernization and Development,Industrial System Research, (Manchester: ISRPublications, 2011).14The New Global Economic Order and East Asia -From the Viewpoint of Spatial Economics,Research Instituteof Economy, Trade and Industry, [on-line database]; available inhttp://www.rieti.go.jp/jp/special/special_report/037.html;accessed on June 12, 2014.
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/04/07/east-asian-economies-expected-to-grow-at-a-stable-pace-in-2014http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/04/07/east-asian-economies-expected-to-grow-at-a-stable-pace-in-2014http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/04/07/east-asian-economies-expected-to-grow-at-a-stable-pace-in-2014http://www.rieti.go.jp/jp/special/special_report/037.htmlhttp://www.rieti.go.jp/jp/special/special_report/037.htmlhttp://www.rieti.go.jp/jp/special/special_report/037.htmlhttp://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/04/07/east-asian-economies-expected-to-grow-at-a-stable-pace-in-2014http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/04/07/east-asian-economies-expected-to-grow-at-a-stable-pace-in-2014


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Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database

East Asia in this figure includes 18 countries: Japan, China, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, ASEAN10, Australia, New

Zealand, India

East Asia today, achieved rapid growth through its export-oriented strategy while effectively

utilizing abundant low-wage labor. In order for East Asia to lead the sustainable growth of the

world economy, the region needs to develop further, not only as the global manufacturing center,

but also as part of the global market.15

In this case, it is very important for East Asia countries to develop the cooperation between them

in order to maintain the economic growth which is very beneficial for each country. Finally, the

opportunity of peace and stability in East Asia region can be established and it has a huge

positive prospect.

CHALLENGES TOWARD PEACE AND STABILITY

The possibility of peace and stability of East Asia can be interrupted with some events or

conflicts that happen in the region, although it will irrationally sacrifice a lot of money rather

15Ibid.


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than to cooperate and get the benefit. These conflicts can easily emerge as an impact from border

dispute, the military modernization of China that has influence to the regional security, and

North Korea nuclear crisis.

Border Disputes

There are manyborder and territorial disputes that happen in East Asia. Even todays policy of

countries prefers to economic cooperation, however these disputes have a potential possibility to

escalate into an armed conflict. One of the serious conflicts that attract many countries is South

China Sea.

South China Sea Dispute

South China Sea disputes involve territorial and maritime claims by Peoples Republic of China

which then resulting a massive rejection from many countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam,

Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei. Chinas claim over the territory based on its historical reason,

although it is contradicted with United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

which specified a 12 nautical mile territorial sovereignty boundary and a 200 mile of exclusive

economic zone (EEZ).16

This kind of dispute has a big potential possibility to escalate into an armed conflict because this

area consists of estimated area of rich oil and natural gas under water. Based on U.S. Energy

Information Administration (EIA) report, South China Sea consists of approximately 11 billion

barrels (bbl) of oil reserves and 190 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas reserves. In November

2012, the Chinese National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) estimated the area holds around

125 billion barrels of oil and 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in undiscovered resources.

Beside natural sources, South China Sea also offers fishing areas and the strategic control of

shipping lanes.17

The most disputed area in South China Sea claim is Spratly and Paracel islands. Spratly islands,

which is located in south of China, southeast of Vietnam and west of the Philippines, have been

16"Exclusive Economic Zone," available athttp://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/part5.htm;Internet; accessed from June 6, 2014.17South China Sea Overview, U.S. Energy Information Administration, February 7, 2013 [on-line journal];available athttp://www.eia.gov/countries/analysisbriefs/South_China_Sea/south_china_sea.pdf;Internet; accessedon June 6, 2014.
http://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/part5.htmhttp://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/part5.htmhttp://www.eia.gov/countries/analysisbriefs/South_China_Sea/south_china_sea.pdfhttp://www.eia.gov/countries/analysisbriefs/South_China_Sea/south_china_sea.pdfhttp://www.eia.gov/countries/analysisbriefs/South_China_Sea/south_china_sea.pdfhttp://www.eia.gov/countries/analysisbriefs/South_China_Sea/south_china_sea.pdfhttp://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/part5.htm


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disputed for long time ago. In 1995, Chinas PLA Navy built an installation on Mischief Reef,

which then emerge a confrontation between China and the Philippines. The Philippines protested

against two Chinese patrol boats that confronted a Philippine vessel in Reed Bank near the

Spratly Islands. The Philippines sent two aircraft as a protest toward two Chinese patrol boats

which confronted a Philippine vessel in near Spratly Islands.18

Another than that, Paracel islands dispute also results the tention between China and Vietnam,

although it less confrontation than Spratly islands. In 2011, Vietnam protested Chinese of its

maritime vessels violation of sovereignty which sail in Vietnam EEZ. Lately, China ired flares

to give warning toward Vietnamese fishing boat in Paracel islands.19

South China Sea has the biggest potential in turning into armed conflict and open war since its

complex and hard to be resolved. Many parties involving in finding the appropriate resolution of

this dispute, but Chinas position which considering South China Sea as the main interest, make

it hard to be realized. In 2011, China rejected the multilateral resolution that offered by ASEAN

and the United States.20

East China Sea Dispute: Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands

East China Sea dispute concerns a territorial dispute over uninhabited islands which known as

the Senkaku Islands in Japan, the Diaoyu in the People's Republic of China (PRC), and Tiaoyutai

Islands in the Republic of China (Taiwan). The tension of dispute becomes more serious when

East China Sea dispute includes the two countries that have the biggest influences in the region,

which are China and Japan.

In September 2012, the Japanese government purchased three of the disputed islands from the

private landowner which then triggered large-scale protests from China. In Febuary 5, 2013, the

situation has been regarded as the most serious for Sino-Japanese relations in the post-war period

in terms of the risk of militarized conflict when Japanese defense minister Istunori Onodera18"Chinas Territorial Disputes in the South China Sea and East China Sea", China Briefing, [on-line media];available athttp://www.china-briefing.com/news/2011/05/31/chinas-territorial-disputes-in-the-south-china-sea-and-east-china-sea.html;Internet; accessed on June 7, 2014.19"China 'fired flares' at Vietnam boat in South China Sea,BBC News, [on-line media]; available athttp://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-21950321;Internet; accessed on June 7, 2014.20Subhash Kapila, "China not Amenable to Conflict Resolution on South China Sea," South Asia Analysis GroupNovember 7, 2012, [on-line journal]; available in http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/node/1043; Internet; accessed onJune 12, 2014.
http://www.china-briefing.com/news/2011/05/31/chinas-territorial-disputes-in-the-south-china-sea-and-east-china-sea.htmlhttp://www.china-briefing.com/news/2011/05/31/chinas-territorial-disputes-in-the-south-china-sea-and-east-china-sea.htmlhttp://www.china-briefing.com/news/2011/05/31/chinas-territorial-disputes-in-the-south-china-sea-and-east-china-sea.htmlhttp://www.china-briefing.com/news/2011/05/31/chinas-territorial-disputes-in-the-south-china-sea-and-east-china-sea.htmlhttp://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-21950321http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-21950321http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-21950321http://www.china-briefing.com/news/2011/05/31/chinas-territorial-disputes-in-the-south-china-sea-and-east-china-sea.htmlhttp://www.china-briefing.com/news/2011/05/31/chinas-territorial-disputes-in-the-south-china-sea-and-east-china-sea.html


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made an emergency press conference and announced that PLA Navy frigate locked-on its fire

control radar on Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forcesdestroyer Yudachi on January 30, 2013 in

East China Sea.21 Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, then described the incident as a

dangerous action that could have brought about an unexpected situation.22Lately, the military

tension of the dispute increases as China and Japan sent fighter airplanes to monitor ships and

other planes surrounding the area.23

The Korean Territorial Dispute

The Korean Peninsula is one of the strategically important area in the East Asian region. The end

of WW II caused division of Korea into North and South Korea, the first was under the

Communist influence led by the Soviet Union and later the Peoples Republic of China, the other

was under the Western liberalism influence led by the United States. In 1950 the Korean War

broke out when North Korean troops marched across 38th parallel to the South Korean side. The

war lasted for 3 years with thousands of casualties on both sides.24

Although there have been talks regarding reunification and other peaceful endeavors, tension

between the two countries has continued for decades often including violence armed conflicts.

The hostilities between the Koreas follows a spate of nuclear posturing, but its true significance

may have deeper roots in an unresolved conflict over sea borders. North Korean artillery targeted

Yeonpyeong Island, on the South Korean side of a maritime demarcation line in the Yellow Sea

that Pyongyang has refused to recognize since it was imposed in 1953.25

21Yuki Tatsumi, "Senkaku Islands/East China Sea Disputes-A Japanese Perspective, CNA Maritime Asia Project,"available in http://www.stimson.org/images/uploads/research-pdfs/Yuki-CNA_paper_8-2013.pdf; Internet; accessed

on June 9, 2014.22"Japanese prime minister accuses Chinese navy ship of 'dangerous' act," CNN, [on-line media]; available athttp://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/06/world/asia/china-japan-disputed-islands/; Internet; accessed in June 9, 2014.23"Close call as China scrambles fighter jets on Japanese aircraft in disputed territory," CNN, May 26, 2014 [0n-linemedia]; available at http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/26/world/asia/china-japan-jets-scramble/; Internet; accessed onJune 9, 2014.24Julian Borger, "North Korea and South Korea: a dispute dating back 50 years," The Guardian, November 23, 2010[on-line media]; available inhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/nov/23/north-korea-south-korea;Internet; accessed on June 14, 2014.25Ibid.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/nov/23/north-korea-south-koreahttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/nov/23/north-korea-south-koreahttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/nov/23/north-korea-south-koreahttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/nov/23/north-korea-south-korea


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Military Race: The Impact of Chinese Military Modernization

The peace and stability in the region will also get the impact from what China did in

modernizing its military power. For a long time ago, China has established the program to

improve their military capability which supported by Chinas rapid economic development.

From awareness to maintain its national security, China found it is necessary to conduct military

modernization with began in 1970s.26

The Chinasmilitary modernization is related to the Chinas policy to increase military budget.

Over the last 15 years, military spending in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has grown about

10 percent annually. The official military budget announced by the Chinese government for 2012

was $ 106.4 billion U.S. which is the second largest in the world and an increase of 11.2% from

2011. In 2013, China raised its central government defense budget by 10.7 percent to 720.2

billion yuan ($114.3 billion) in 2013.27

Source: www.chinadaily.com.cn

26Dennis Blasko, Chinese Army Modernization: An Overview, Military Review, Questia, [on-line journal];available athttp://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-942160941/chinese-army-modernization-an-overview;accessed on June 9, 2014.27Wu Jiao, Defense budget growth slows, China Dialy, March 6, 2013 [on-line media]; available fromhttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2013-03/06/content_16281135.htm;Internet; accessed on June 6, 2014.
http://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-942160941/chinese-army-modernization-an-overviewhttp://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-942160941/chinese-army-modernization-an-overviewhttp://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-942160941/chinese-army-modernization-an-overviewhttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2013-03/06/content_16281135.htmhttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2013-03/06/content_16281135.htmhttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2013-03/06/content_16281135.htmhttp://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-942160941/chinese-army-modernization-an-overview


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The implications that arise with the modernization and improvement of China's military

spending are growing of a tension between the countries in East Asia. Countries in the region are

very serious in concerning the development of the Chinas military power, especially in limited

transparency in increasing military budget. These countries are trying to push China to restrain

the development of military programs by conducting critics that with the large number of

Chinas military budget could trigger regional instability and sparked outrage of East Asia

countries that could lead to the war in the region, especially Japan and South Korea.28

For Japan, the situation turned into a security dilemma. Modernization that China did, has forced

Japan to do the same by strengthening the alliance relationship with the United States. On

October 29, 2005, the Japan and the United States defense alliance that incorporated into the

"Security Consultative Committee" issued a formal document agreed by both countries regarding

the redefinition of defensive alliance for the future security and continued with the meeting

between the two sides in 2006 and 2007.29Currently, under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan

wants to change the nations pacifist constitution imposed by the U.S. after Japans defeat in

World War II. Abe said that Japans elevated status could possibly help Asia become a balanced

and stable region.30

North Korea Nuclear Crisis

Another treat for East Asia peace and stability is coming from North Korea which developed its

nuclear weapon. Since 2003, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) or called North

Korea is no longer a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and then developed nuclear

weapon program.

On October 9, 2006, North Korea announced it had successfully conducted its first nuclear test.

An underground explosion was detected, its yield was estimated as less than a kiloton, and some

28Jian Yang, Chinas Security Challenges: Priorities and Policy Implication in Security Outlook of the Asia PacificCountries and Its Implications for the Defense Sector,The National Institute for Defense Studies, 2012.29Christopher W. Hughes, Japanese Military Modernization: In Search of a Normal Security Role,Seattle &Washington: NBR.30"Abe says it is time to revise pacifist constitution," Japan Today, January 1, 214 [on-line media]; available athttp://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/abe-says-it-is-time-to-revise-pacifist-constitution;Internet;accessed on June 7, 2014.
http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/abe-says-it-is-time-to-revise-pacifist-constitutionhttp://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/abe-says-it-is-time-to-revise-pacifist-constitutionhttp://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/abe-says-it-is-time-to-revise-pacifist-constitution


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radioactive output was detected. On May 25, 2009, North Korea conducted a second nuclear test,

resulting in an explosion estimated to be between 2 and 7 kilotons. The 2009 test, like the 2006

test, is believed to have occurred at Mantapsan, Kilju County, in the north-eastern part of North

Korea. On February 12, 2013, North Korea conducted its third underground nuclear test. This is

the first nuclear test carried out under leader, Kim Jong Un. On February 27, 2014, North Korea

launches four scud missiles into the sea off its eastern coast according to South Korean Defense

Ministry. The scud missiles were fired in the direction of Russia and fell into the sea.31

This nuclear development by North Korea is recognized as a threat that can interrupt the stability

and peace, both in the region and global, by developing its nuclear missile which can reach many

countries in the world. On 2012, North Korea developed Musudan missile which is a single-stage

intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) and has the range of 2,500-4,000 km. It means it is

capable of direct strikes on South Korea, Japan, and Guam, thus putting U.S. military bases at

risk. Lately, North Korea is developing Taepodong-2 which is larger, more capable multi-stage

missile which can reach 6.000 km and possible range until 15,000 km. It means that the United

States territory will also get the impact from this missile.32

Source: Center for Nonproliferation Studies, accessed on www.theguardian.com

31"North Korea Nuclear Timeline Fast Facts," CNN, March 31, 2014 [on-line media]; available athttp://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/29/world/asia/north-korea-nuclear-timeline---fast-facts/; Internet; accessed on June9, 2014.32Duyeon Kim, Fact Sheet: North Korea's Nuclear and Ballistic Missile Programs, The Center For Arms ControlAnd Non-Proliferation,available athttp://armscontrolcenter.org/publications/factsheets/fact_sheet_north_korea_nuclear_and_missile_programs/,accessed on June 10, 2014.


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CONCLUSION

East Asia is a special region and becomes one of the most populated regions in the world which

very beneficial as a market for economical flow. The East Asia economy is the world most

successful regional economies due to the fact that East Asia has emerged some of the worlds

largest and most prosperous countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and

Hong Kong. In the 21st century, East Asia is expected to become the growth center of the world

economy.

However, there are several challenges toward peace and stability in the region. First, in East Asia

emerged some border and territorial disputes which can escalate the conflict and effect regional

peace and stability. Second, military modernization which China did influenced military and arm

race in the region. Finally, North Korea Nuclear Crisis also becomes an obstacle toward regional

peace and stability since they developed nuclear missile which can reach many territory of

countries both in regional and global.

To conclude, author believe, the opportunity in of peace and stability in East Asia has a huge

positive prospect because currently the policy takers prefer to economic cooperation rather than

engaged in an open war. Considering interdependence relationship between countries in the

region, economic cooperation becomes a fundamental mechanism in establishing regional peace

and stability which can emerge a lot of benefits, rather than costly armed conflict or open war.


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Documents

ESTABLISHING PEACE AND STABILITY IN EAST ASIA: CHALLENGES AND OPPRTUNITIES