The New Global Politics of the Asia-Pacific

Now in its new and fully updated third edition, The New Global Politics of the Asia Pacific continues to provide a compelling analysis of a region undergoing dramatic changes. Based on new research and offering fresh interpretation, this edition evaluates the prospects for continuing US dominance in the 'Asian Century'. Whilst presenting evidence for a multifaceted 'Beijing Strategy', which aims to counter the US by building an alternative regional order, it also explains Japan's definitive departure from its limited military role. Providing an introductory guide for the main frameworks needed to understand the region, including realism, liberalism and critical theory, this new edition is reader-friendly, and offers sophisticated competing explanations. Key content includes:
Intra-regional conflicts in the South China Sea and the Korean peninsula,
The different responses within the Asia-Pacific to the globalization of Western ideas of democracy and political economy,
The underappreciated success of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in building a regional identity,
The European Union's soft power in the region.
A highly topical account, which offers an overview of the main actors, institutions and contemporary issues in the Asia-Pacific, the book will be essential reading for undergraduate students of Asian Studies, International Politics, and anyone interested in the region.

Michael K. Connors teaches at the University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus and is a Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University. He is the co-editor of Thai Politics in Translation: Monarchy, Democracy, Constitution (forthcoming). Rémy Davison holds the Jean Monnet Chair in Politics and Economics at Monash University. He is the author of The Political Economy of Single Market Europe (2011). Jörn Dosch is Professor of International Politics and Development Cooperation at the University of Rostock, Germany, and Adjunct Professor at Monash University Malaysia. His recent publications include Malaysia Post-Mahathir: A Decade of Change (2015).

1. Introduction: Asia's Great Game? 2. The US. Still the hegemon? 3. The Chinese Century? 4. Between a doctrine and hard place: Japan's emerging role 5. Looking East: India and Russia in the Asia-Pacific 6. Middle Power and Alliance Diplomacy in Australia's foreign policy 7. Southeast Asia: ASEAN and the challenge of regionalism in the Asia Pacific 8. The EU and the Asia-Pacific: A Source of Soft Power? 9. Regional Security. Legacies and new challenges 10. Building Blocs: Regionalism and Globalization in the Asia-Pacific 11. State and markets: political economy explanations of East Asia's economic miracle 12. The state in retreat? Transnational actors in the Asia-Pacific 13. Civilisade: Asian Values, democracy and fateful hubris