Sample Chapter - United Nations University

20 Yoshinobu Yamamoto
in Table 1.1, but it was subsumed by the global system; i.e., in terms of
Table 1.1, it was an overlaid subordinate system, as touched upon previously.
There were regional alliances formed within that system, such as
the South East Asian Treaty Organization (SEATO), but they were part
of Cold War attempts to promulgate security cooperation and create institutions
within the West’s sphere of influence. As a matter of fact, during
the Cold War, an alliance system was created on both sides. In the
Western camp, what is called a “hub-and-spoke” system was created,
while the Russia–China and China–North Korea (DPRK) alliances were
formed. Among them, the American-led hub-and-spoke alliance system
still exists as does the China–DPRK alliance.
ASEAN, founded in 1967, is probably the sole exception to these Cold
War structures. In an effort to foster trust among Southeast Asian nations,
ASEAN was an inclusive system for continued cooperation.
Although it was a de facto non-communist organization, it was more concerned
with fostering regional autonomy and avoiding external intervention
than outwardly responding to communism. Though it encompassed
varied domestic values/‌norms and domestic institutions, it attempted to
prevent clashes by emphasizing the principle of non-intervention in internal
affairs. Furthermore, in terms of norms for relationships between
countries, it adopted principles compatible with differing domestic norms,
such as dialogue and peaceful conflict resolution (the “ASEAN Way”).
As such, it opened the way for the formation of a single Southeast Asian
regional complex and even a regional society.
Thus, with the exception of ASEAN, the Asia-Pacific and East Asian
regions directly reflected the structure of the Cold War, forming a standard
regional complex. In the 1960s, however, tensions between China and
the Soviet Union intensified, and the early 1970s saw an end to China’s
policy of trying to export revolution. China and the United States grew
closer throughout the 1970s and, in 1978, under the leadership of Deng
Xiaoping, China shifted to a policy of reform and openness. In this way,
an economically segmented East Asia with an adversarial balance of
power gradually experienced an easing of tensions and an expansion of
economic exchange, although with regard to fundamental values, norms
and domestic institutions, there was of course the difference between socialism
and capitalism (level III in Table 1.1).
In 1979, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan began a new era of the
Cold War, and conflict between the Soviet Union on the one hand and
the United States, Japan and China on the other became more pronounced.
The 1980s saw an aggressive Soviet Union facing off against an
anti-Soviet pseudo-alliance consisting of the United States, Japan and
China, which once again overlayed Asia onto a global system. As such,