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Hegemonic Disputes and the Limits of the ASEAN Regional Forum
Author(s) -
Jho Whasun,
Chae Soo A
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
pacific focus
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.172
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 1976-5118
pISSN - 1225-4657
DOI - 10.1111/pafo.12029
Subject(s) - hegemony , political science , political economy , sociology , law , politics
Although the ASEAN Regional Forum ( ARF ) has made significant progress providing confidence‐building mechanisms, it remains inconsistent in moving towards a shared goal of collective defense arrangements and this raises the issue of the ARF 's overall efficacy in the region. This article analyzes the reasons for the inconsistent efficacy of the ARF in improving territorial conflicts. Based upon realists' insights, this article analyzes how the role of the ARF in resolving the S outh C hina S ea disputes has changed periodically based on participation of the U nited S tates and C hina, which have exercised their expansionary or conservative interest goals in the region. This article pays close attention to the way in which the respective national interests of the U nited S tates and C hina have changed chronologically and how these adopted strategies have affected their rival's participation strategies and the ARF 's role. This article argues that the ARF 's ability to resolve problems has fluctuated noticeably according to the changes in the nature and level of powerful states' hegemonic interests.