Publication

The authors of this publication address the relationship between security, democracy, and economic liberalization in US policy toward Asia. The first part touches upon the US shift in focus from security issues to trade and democratization and warns that too much emphasis on democracy and human rights could exasperate Asian leaders and undercut positive trends in multilateral security cooperation. The second part similarly challenges the common conception that greater democratization will necessarily lead to increased security in East Asia and advises policymakers to consider indigenous values and conditions when asserting the applicability of American-style liberal democracy in Asia.