Great-power rivalry is likely to play a more dominant role in Northeast Asia in the coming years. Massive military investments along with historic suspicions that are animated by nationalist fervor make crisis in this region plausible. Existing studies frequently advocate for a balance of power perspective that envisions a zero-sum competition between states based largely on military power, and attempts to maintain a strong coalition of states to balance against a rising China. The Asia Initiative ’09 project instead advocates for an American strategy based on a power of balance perspective that recognizes how nation-state power and behavior are impacted by forces like globalization, and how Asian nations are vying for a more proactive role, both regionally and globally, in maintaining order and security.
To this end, CNAS has engaged in a number of projects on the U.S.-Japan and U.S.-Korea alliances. With the strong support of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defense, the Asia Initiative ‘09 project has conducted multiple high-level seminars in hope of articulating a forward-looking vision for the U.S.-Japan alliance. Additionally, CNAS is undertaking a major project that seeks to broaden alliance-based cooperation with South Korea. CNAS will release its final reports and recommendations on the future of these alliances in the coming months.