Multilateralism in East Asia: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Abstract

Problems in the study of multilateralism in East Asia include: using concepts and theories derived from European experience, underestimating the regional context for managing collective action problems, and generating a warped view of the processes and institutions that guide or restrain multilateralism. East Asia is a treasure trove for the study of multilateralism, refuting mainstream conventions of transatlantic IR theory. Institutions are far less legalized, as seen in the ASEAN Way. Informal understandings underlie cooperation. Historical memory drives foreign policy decision-making. US rebalancing and Chinese assertiveness create an extremely volatile situation that is neither an architecture nor an order. Instead, the region is still searching for a design to manage relations among major powers on the one hand, and relations between major powers and weaker countries on the other. Show more