内容説明
The Cold War ended more than thirty years ago, but the world-and within it, the countries of Asia and the Pacific-still struggles to establish a peaceful and prosperous community of nations. Many midsized and smaller states, caught in the webs of superpower rivalry, have not felt their interests adequately represented by existing alliances and international organizations.
This volume envisions an alternative: a Western Pacific Union (WPU), conceived as a loosely integrated community of nations stretching from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, that would counterbalance superpower dominance and give greater agency in global affairs to its members by coordinating their voices and interests.
The initiative for this proposal comes from Japan, with Dr. KITAOKA Shinichi, former ambassador to the United Nations and former president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, leading a team of established scholars, younger researchers, and specialists in articulating the concept of the WPU and dissecting the challenges facing its realization. The core of the book is a country-by-country treatment of the recent history and international relations of each potential member state and the prospects for its successful involvement in this nascent community of nations.
Our world is increasingly integrated through advanced technologies and global commerce, but in many ways still remains fractious and divided. Finding peaceful, equitable, sustainable solutions to the issues confronting humanity demands new ideas and strategies. This volume addresses these needs with a new geopolitical vision for Asia and the Pacific.
目次
Preface to the English Edition (Kitaoka Shinichi)/Preface to the Japanese Edition (Kitaoka Shinichi)/Introduction; Envisioning a Western Pacific Union (Kitaoka Shinichi)/Part I Members of ASEAN/Chapter 1 Indonesia and the Concept of a Western Pacific Union (Aizawa Nobuhiro)/Chapter 2 The Regional Diplomacy of the Philippines and the Western Pacific Union (Takagi Yusuke)/Chapter 3 Vietnam’s “Management of Asymmetry” in Foreign Relations (Ikebe Ryo)/Chapter 4 Thailand’s Foreign Policy and Survival Strategy: The Pursuit of Balance and National Interest (Kakizaki Ichiro)/Chapter 5 Post-Junta Myanmar: “Democratization,” Economic Growth, Coup d’Etat (Kudo Toshihiro)/Chapter 6 Foreign and Security Policy of Malaysia: Its Logic, Narrative, and Domestic Factors (Suzuki Ayame)/Chapter 7 Internal Politics in Cambodia and the CPP Government’s Tilt toward China (Yamada Hiroshi)/Chapter 8 Unlocking a Landlocked Nation: The Geopolitics of Laos and the Western Pacific Union (Aizawa Nobuhiro and Souknilanh Keola)/Chapter 9 Singapore’s Foreign Policy Strategy: Vulnerability and Pragmatism (Koga Kei)/Brunei Darussalam: Monarchical Rule, Energy, and Omnidirectional Diplomacy (Suzuki Ayame)/Part II Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands/Chapter 10 Japan and Australia: From Wartime Enemies to Strategic Partners (Hamada Maya)/New Zealand: A Small Country with a Big Presence (Hamada Maya)/Chapter 11 The Pacific Island Countries (Kurosaki Takehiro)/Timor-Leste: Japan’s Role as Timor-Leste Moves from Conflict to Prosperity (Kurosaki Takehiro)/Part III Other Related Countries and Regions/Chapter 12 Taiwan and International Relations in the Western Pacific (Kawashima Shin)/Bangladesh: Strongly Growing Partner Linking Southeast and South Asia (Hirata Hitoshi)/Africa: Potential of the Western Pacific Union from the Perspective of Relations with Africa (Oi Ayako)/Conclusion; The Western Pacific Union in the Development of Asian Regionalism (Oba Mie)/Bibliography/Author Profiles/Translator Profiles
