The threats to security in Southeast Asia have been serious and constant since the end of the Second World War. The book provides an absorbing account of the evolution of a key axis of regional stability - defence contacts between Japan and Australia, tracing the relationship from the early post-war period to the post-9/11 present.

Though most works have focused on their economic nexus, Japan and Australia's defences and security ties have assumed increasing importance since the mid-1990s. With problems such as North Korea's nuclear program and the China-Taiwan standoff threatening...

Bringing together a number of recognized international experts, this book considers the impact of changes in American foreign policy on the East Asian region, as well as the evolving nature of American policy itself. Specific case studies consider America's relations with the most important countries of the region, including China, a potential strategic rival, Japan, still the second largest economy in the world, and Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country. These case studies and others are complemented with more theoretical and thematic considerations of the nature of American...

This book explores the various dimensions of energy security in Asia - which has become an increasingly important geopolitical issue. Reputable international contributors look at the roles played by each of the major energy importers: the United States, China, Japan and India, as well as the main suppliers: the OPEC states, Russia, the Central Asian states and Australia. In each case, the domestic politics of energy security are investigated, and state interests and perspectives on the issue are considered.

Analyzing the policy and security aspects of energy security, the book...

This book confronts both the maritime security challenges and responses. In Southeast Asia, maritime security has, over the last twenty years, taken on a much greater importance, due to the Law of the Sea convention, which has resulted in a 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs).

As well as traditional security threats to maritime security, there has also emerged a range of non-traditional threat, such as those emanating from piracy and international terrorism that spill over into the maritime domain. Events such as September 11th, and the designation of Southeast Asia as...

North Korea's nuclear weapons program has provoked much apprehension in the international community in recent years. The Six Party Talks were convened in 2003 to prevent North Korea from developing nuclear weapons. They brought together the US, China, Russia, Japan as well as North and South Korea in the effort to negotiate a multilateral resolution of North Korea's nuclear program but the parties had widely different views and approaches. This book will examine the Six Party Talks as a study in multilateral negotiation highlighting the expectations vested in them and their inability to...

Maritime issues are particularly important for Asian countries, where there is a high reliance on shipping routes for international trade, many difficult disputes over maritime boundaries, and the prospect of increasing tensions where maritime power might play a significant role. This book uses contributions by 17 experts to build a comprehensive survey of the maritime issues affecting Asia. It discusses the issues overall, goes on to examine the issues from the perspective of each of 14 key countries, and concludes by assessing the prospects for resolving common problems in order to...