East Asia's Relations: Persistent Continuities and Changing Circumstances

This essay reviews persistent continuities and changing circumstances for international relations in East Asia. Although there are few things certain in life except death and tax, it seems reasonably clear that the center of global economy and security will increasingly shift to this region―or if you will, the larger Asia-Pacific or Indo-Pacific region. It is therefore vital that we seek to gain a better understanding of ongoing trends and incipient transformations affecting this region, containing some of the world's most consequential states―China, Japan, Korea and of course, the omnipresent United States. East Asia also features several perennial hotspots such as across the Taiwan Strait, on the Korean Peninsula, and in the East and South China Seas. Although, as explained below, some past themes will continue, changing dynamics also suggest a more turbulent and unpredictable future for this region.