A vast revolution in military affairs is taking place across East Asia. The latest signs are Chinese President Xi Jinping's purge of Gen. Xu Caihou, an ex-Politburo member and former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, on charges of corruption, and Japan's "reinterpretation" of Article 9 of its Constitution to permit the country to provide military aid to its allies.
Despite the rising regional tensions that inspired these moves, China's relations with its neighbors and the United States are not fated to lead to direct confrontation. But to avoid that outcome, the relentless march of new initiatives to meet the perceived "China threat" will require the region's political leaders, including the Chinese, to address their disputes in new and more creative ways.
In general, there are three ways to foster international peace: deepening economic interdependence, promoting democracy and building international institutions. Unfortunately, because East Asia's political leaders have failed to pursue the latter objective, they now find themselves playing dangerous balance-of-power games reminiscent of Europe a century ago.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.