Asia's Aging Security

"The Indo-Pacific region will experience striking demographic change by mid-century that will greatly affect regional security dynamics. Traditional regional rivals Japan and China will experience shrinking and rapidly aging populations in this decade that will accelerate through 2050, while other large states in the region-India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam-will grow and remain relatively youthful. The United States is the demographic exception in the developed world and among the existing great powers, but must adjust to the demographic changes of its traditional allies-adapting military strategies, creating new partnerships, and in some cases either shouldering more of the burden or deciding to do less. Not only are some of America's critical allies aging, but the network of alliances itself is aging and in need of rejuvenation. In this book, Andrew L. Oros explores how the greatly shifting demographics in the Indo-Pacific region over the next thirty years (and beyond) will fundamentally alter regional security dynamics and require changes to current approaches to managing existing security challenges-as well as presenting some new challenges, such as autonomous defense systems, robotics, and artificial intelligence to counter threats. Asia's Aging Security makes a foreign policy case that adjustment to demographic change in Asia is a near and present necessity in the twenty-first century and beyond"-- Provided by publisher.

Andrew L. Oros is professor of political science and international studies at Washington College. His books include Japan's Security Renaissance: New Policies and Politics for the Twenty-First Century (Columbia, 2017).