Cooperative Security: The Rational Choice Of Security Patterns In The Asia-Pacific Area After The Cold War

In the post-Cold War era, a new concept "Cooperative Security", which was antagonistic towards "Cold-War thought", appeared and developed in the Asia-Pacific Area. The term means "consultation rather than confrontation, reassurance rather than deterrence, transparency rather than secrecy, prevention rather than correction, and interdependence rather than unilateralism". Because of its reply to contemporary theme of "Peace and Development", its coincidence with the tendency of the international cooperation, its embodiment of the spirit of interdependence hi the globalization era, and especially because of its adaptation of the condition of the political diversity, economic complexity and cultural many-facet in the Asia-Pacific Area, this security concept was widely and rapidly accepted in the Asia-Pacific Area since it came into being, which played an active role in maintaining a satisfied security circumstances in the Asia-Pacific Area after the Cold War.The core issue I' d like to discuss in this paper is the thesis that "cooperative security" is the rational choice of the security patterns in the Asia-Pacific Area after the Cold War. The following are my reasons:From the practical perspective, ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) is the first and the only pan-regionally official "cooperative security" organization emerged in the Asia-Pacific Area after the Cold War. And it has made great contribution to the Asia-Pacific security: Firstly, ARF is the product of the ASEAN's new security concept and strategy, which is in accord with the maintenance of national and regional security interest for ASEAN and most of the states in this area; Secondly, the appearance of ARF also conforms to the subjective and objective needs of big powers; Thirdly, the method to resolve the security problems by dialogue and cooperation, the building of confidence-building measures and the launching of the preventive diplomacy in ARF have enhanced mutual understanding and mutual trustamong Asia-Pacific countries. By this means, countries in the Asia-Pacific Area can escape "security dilemma", thereby achieve "common security" after the Cold War.Theoretically, there are also three reasons. Firstly, the internal environment in the Asia-Pacific Area determines that other security patterns don't suit the need of the protection of the national and regional security for the countries hi this area, that is, Balance-of-power Security. Collective Security and Common Security. Secondly, the great changes of the external environment in the Asia-Pacific Area after the Cold War made countries hi this area from decentralization to cooperation, so the security pattern of "cooperative security" became the rational choice for countries in this area. Thirdly, "cooperative security" will be the most effective way to promote objective common interest for countries in the Asia-Pacific Area.The emergence of the "cooperative security" and its practice in the Asia-Pacific Area create a fine regional environment for China to test "New Security Theory" and its "initiative-cooperation" security strategy. At the same time, China's "New Security Theory" and its "initiative-cooperation" security strategy will embody the principles of "cooperative security": "cooperative security" is the core of the "New Security Theory"; As a security pattern, "cooperative security" is an attractive pattern for China to practise its "New Security Theory". This pushes China to involve all kinds of "cooperative security" organizations actively so that China can realize its security strategic goals of the Asia-Pacific Area as early as possible.