The Supply And Demand Of Regional Security Public Goods And Security Dilemma In Fast Asia

In East Asia, since the end of the cold war, it has staged a series of dramas:the ring power and hegemonic power collides in this stage; in contrast to close economic ties with each other increasingly, which is full of conflict and rivalry in East Asia security field; thereby regional security dilemma has become more serious. Every theory shows great interest in East Asian security issues. It is not just the schools can find its own suited "experimental field", but also what is happening and upcoming will make tremendous impact on international system, even decides the future of international order.Both the hegemonic stability theory and alliance theory involve some knowledge of "public goods", especially the hegemonic stability theory advocates hegemony as the necessary premise to supply public goods. This dissertation tries to make a theoretical framework to analyze and investigate scientifically the link between the change of supply and demand of security public goods and east Asian security in post cold war era:what the outstanding imbalance between supply and demand of security public goods make security dilemma fiercer and fiercer, which is one of the most important reasons that security dilemma becomes difficult to solve. The former (the imbalance) is not necessary, but sufficient condition for security dilemma to occur. Although power is the basic prerequisite to be a provider, it is not the only precondition. Because it should take nations’preferences into consideration whether one wants to be a provider or not. If there is mature regionalism and relatively complete mechanisms, the change of power structure will not necessarily lead to a surge in demands. Regionalism more plays a role as lubricant. In the region where regionalism develops slowly and mechanism is incomplete, with continuous shift of power structure, the demand of security public goods presents ascendant trend. The primary supply mode and provider may be the biggest obstacle to potential new providers. The former provider hardly continues to meet the needs of regional nations, but more from its strategy to make public goods privatized. Then the imbalance of supply and demand is apparent and regional security deteriorates completely.In East Asia, it is a distorted market that the security public goods’supply and demand market. In general, need affects suppliers how to supply and supply what. In contrast, supply has stimulated need; even need cannot influence the suppliers’preference in East Asia. Because there is no mature regionalism to promote regional nations to produce public goods jointly, but also no an intra-regional dominant force who has ability to supply sufficient security public goods satisfy the needs of all regional nations relatively. Since the end of the cold war, it is in abnormal situations that an extra-territorial power supplies security public goods in East Asia. Security public goods should be supplied by intra-regional powers though multilateral cooperation ideally. It sows the seeds of imbalance that supply of security public goods is dominated by an extra-regional power. The main reason of imbalance is that extra-regional powers are not consistent with intra-regional powers in security concerns and perception of threat. Hence their security needs are far cry from each others’, even though what are seemingly similar superficially. The all contribute to innate defects that an extra-regional power supply regional security public goods.In the post-cold war era, the relationship of security public goods’supply and demand has undergone from roughly balance to the imbalance in East Asia. The cold war ended stunningly and popping, while the bilateral alliance system did not step down from history stage. The United States with unparalleled power make bilateral alliance system the most important tool to supply security public goods. Meanwhile the most intractable and vital tasks for East Asian nations are development of economy and social stability. In this situation that economic needs are higher than security needs and America is in the top of power pyramid in East Asia, there is no doubt that America became the most important provider to supply security public goods. Entering the new century, China’s rising, emerging of integration of East Asia, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and the global financial crisis, what triggers the United States losing the catbird seat possibly and focusing on East Asia gradually. Owing to the development of regional power, the United States has adjusted its strategy:narrowing scope of beneficiaries, strengthening exclusivity, improving the cost of enjoying public goods. For East Asian countries what they have to face are that regionalism is almost stagnating because of U. S. "return to Asia" strategy and regional security mechanisms is difficult to really and completely solve problems for their innate defects. When regional power structure is being transformation, East Asian security dilemma is intensified.As a major power in East Asia, although China heads over heels in security dilemma, China should play crucial role to solve dilemma though supplying security public goods which East Asian nations most need and desire, not private goods which just satisfy the needs of China. Why China chooses to supply security public goods voluntary and active are that:on the one hand, rooting in national interests that China’s security is no longer limited to national boundaries but pay more attention to the bound with power rising; On the other hand, being a responsible nation that China should reverse the imbalance situation in supply and demand through its actions and remove the unnecessary worry about China’s rise among neighboring countries. Supplying security public goods is a choice to be made on the basis of China’s international position and role when China interacts with international system entering the new phase. China need take advantage of supplying public goods to strike back "China threat" and promote international image. China chooses to supply public goods that do not just rely on itself or build hegemony mode, but cooperate with east Asian nations equally to joint supply. In this process, China plays a coordinating part and undertakes most cost. The greatest resistance for China to supply public goods is from American hegemony. Judging from national power and the preference, China is not willing to replace America or challenge the USA dominance or excluding those public goods which are supplied by United States, instead, China want to make up for deficiencies of supply that America is not able to supply enough satisfied security public goods to east Asian nations. At present China tries to supply three kinds of public goods:security effect, security concept and security regimes etc. In the long run, whether China can continuously supply high quality public goods depends on three factors: the most critical factor is whether China can maintain the comprehensive national strength steadily rising; following is how to gain legitimacy to supply security public goods; the last factor is the interaction between China and east Asian countries who are customers of security public goods.The status of imbalance in supply and demand will not improve in the short or medium term in East Asia, which has a direct and close relationship to transformation process of power structure. Two different modes of China and the United States will be in stumble running-in to find out "quick fix" to get along with each other. China and other East Asia nations will put out feelers about how to adjust the security needs of others’with communicating and cooperating. Causing by the changing of power structure, the security dilemma can be really solved only rest with coordination and effort among East Asian nations, far from an extra-territorial power or a single nation.