The Comparative Studies On Multilateral Security Cooperation In Western Europe And Northeast Asia

After the Cold War, regional security has become a hot spot for the international society and academia. And the comparative study on regions is also a focus of politics and international relations. Through comparing regional security of Europe with that of Asia, western scholars propose three viewpoints. The first is "the past of Europe is the future of Asia". The second is "the past of Asia will be its future". The last is "The future of Asia is neither the past of Europe nor the past of Asia". According to the above, this study aims to make a comparative analysis on the multilateral security cooperation in Western Europe and Northeast Asia.After the Second World War, there has been a similar security dilemma in West Europe and Northeast Asia. This security dilemma is how to coexist in Western Europe and Northeast Asia for France-Germany and Sino-Japan. With the beginning of the Cold War, the international situations were different in Northeast Asian and Western Europe. West European nations united together to become a league when facing the threat of the Soviet Union. Under the influence of international situations and America, Northeast Asia was divided into two leagues. Subject to these factors, the trend of the regional security cooperation of Northeast Asia is different from that of Western Europe. Based on that, the author compares security cooperation of West Europe with Northeast Asia's from three theoretical views, and analyzes the different effects and influences of the three factors of regional economic integration, great powers' relations and American hegemony ally system on the regional security cooperation in the two regions.As far as regionalism is concerned, it has a deep influence on the regional security cooperation, given that there is close relationship between economy and security. Moreover, there is an interaction between economic cooperation and security cooperation in both Western Europe and Northeast Asia. However, the interaction between economic cooperation and security cooperation in the two regions has different characteristics. There is a mutual facilitation between economic integration and security cooperation in Western Europe. In view of security, the Western European nations have promoted the development of economic cooperation, which, inturn, promotes security cooperation. In contrast, the progress of economic cooperation in Northeast Asia has been slow because of security misgivings, which impede security cooperation in this region. In a word, the lack of beneficial interaction between economic cooperation and security cooperation in Northeast Asia results in the slow development of the multilateral security cooperation in Northeast Asia. The different characteristics of Western European "structural regionalism" and Northeast Asian "open multilayer regionalism" influence the multilateral security cooperation in the two regions.From the game theory view, regional great powers' relations have an important influence on regional security order. Regional powers' relations differ greatly between Western Europe and Northeast Asia. To date, Franco-German relations have changed from a "zero-sum" relationship into cooperative partnership. While Sino-Japan relations have some cooperation in economy and trade, there still exists security dilemma to some extent. The different characteristics of great powers' relations exert different effects on the multilateral security cooperation in the two regions. On one hand, Franco-Germany axes urge West European integration. On the other hand, the security cooperation between France and German establishes the foundation of multilateral security cooperation in Western Europe. However, it is difficult to reconcile between China and Japan, which not only does not favor the development of integration in Northeast Asia, but also impedes the multilateral security cooperation in Northeast Asia.From hegemony stability theory view, America had established two different hegemony ally systems in Western Europe and Northeast Asia. That is, a multilateral ally system in Western Europe and bilateral ally system in Northeast Asia. American different policy choices produce great influences on the multilateral security cooperation in Western Europe and Northeast Asia. In the Western Europe, the NATO is established, and so are the Europe Security Council, the Western European Union and European Union's common defence and security policy in Western Europe. Instead, in Northeast Asia the multilateral security cooperation developed slowly under the influence of America's bilateral ally system being strengthened and America-Soviet mutual opposition. Therefore, the security cooperation in Northeast Asia presents a compound regional security order with the basis of bilateral ally system. Under the influence of these factors, the two regions present a different development trend of the multilateral security cooperation from the previously similarsecurity dilemma after the second war.The author thinks that it is inappropriate for Northeast Asia to copy the Western Europe mode of multilateral security cooperation, considering that there are different international circumstances and conditions for the multilateral security cooperation in the two regions. In light of that, the author proposes six avenue candidates for multilateral security cooperation in Northeast Asia. Give the complexity in Northeast Asia, the possibility and difficulty to realize these avenues coexist.Avenue one: functional spillover from economic cooperation to security cooperation. On the one hand, the regional economic cooperation in Northeast Asia has made some progress. On the other hand, it is very difficult to realize functional spillover from economic cooperation to security cooperation due to their relatively independent development.Avenue two: extension from bilateral allies to multilateral cooperation. Now, this extension is urged by America and Japan. However, it is not optimistic because the multilateral security cooperation in Northeast Asia on the basis of the bilateral ally proposed by America doesn't obtain support from China and Russia.Avenue three: "six party talks" institutionalization. Six party talks aimed at resolving North Korea' nuclear issue is founded through hardship of more than 30 years, which may be the platform of multilateral cooperation in Northeast Asia. However, owing to great divergence between America and North Korea, it develops slowly and its trend is unclear.Avenue four: traditional security cooperation led by non-traditional security. It is realistic and necessary. However, whether non-traditional security cooperation induces traditional security cooperation or not is still unclear.Avenue five: cooperative security and multilateral security cooperation in Northeast Asia. Moreover, ARF has involved Northeast Asia' security cooperation under a cooperative security frame. Although there is some development, it is hopeless to realize multilateral security cooperation in Northeast Asia due to the limitation of cooperative security frame itself.Avenue six: concert of great power and multilateral security cooperation in Northeast Asia. To some extent, Northeast Asian security order depends on concert of power among China, America and Japan. If concert of power succeeds, it is easy to realize multilateral security cooperation in Northeast Asia. Otherwise, it is slow and difficult to realize multilateral security cooperation in Northeast Asia.The author thinks that it is more possible for the avenue of functional spillover from economic cooperation to security cooperation to realize multilateral security cooperation in Northeast Asia, which is greatly expected by political circles and academia. Under the current conditions, it appears a multilayer comprehensive development trend of multilateral security cooperation in Northeast Asia. The avenue of functional spillover from economic cooperation to security cooperation becomes the basis of multilateral security cooperation in Northeast Asia. Concert of power among China, America and Japan is the key, and the cooperative security mode is a driving force. Six party talks may become one of the platforms. The multilayer, multi-avenue efforts develop parallel. All these make sure that the multilateral security cooperation in Northeast Asia develops normally, and at last forms a peculiar multilateral security cooperation frame in Northeast Asia, which is neither Asian historical regional order nor Western Europe mode of multilateral security cooperation system.