Only North Korea constitutes a genuine security threat, but that totalitarian state, though odious, is no replacement for the threat once posed by the Soviet Union.Īlas, so far neither the Clinton administration nor Congress seems to have noticed these changes. Southeast Asia suffers from economic and political instability, but such problems threaten no one outside the immediate neighborhood. So far Beijing’s military renewal has been modest its posture has been assertive rather than aggressive-although its saber-rattling toward Taiwan remains of concern. In China, tough-minded communism has dissolved into a cynical excuse for incumbent officeholders to maintain power. The Soviet Union has disappeared, and a much weaker Russia has neither the capability nor the will for East Asian adventurism. After years of failure, countries like Thailand have grown significantly (despite their recent setbacks).Īt the same time, the environment has become more benign.

South Korea dramatically outstrips communist North Korea on virtually every measure of national power. Taiwan’s dramatic jump from poverty to prosperity encouraged the leaders of the communist mainland to undertake fundamental economic reforms. Japan is now the world’s second-ranking economic power. For five decades Washington provided a defense shield behind which noncommunist countries throughout East Asia grew economically and democratically. taxpayers spent roughly $13 trillion (in current dollars) and sacrificed 113,000 lives (mostly in East Asian wars) to win the Cold War.

Rather than enhancing security ties when threats against the United States have dramatically diminished, Washington should initiate a phased withdrawal of American forces from the region. Indeed, the administration is presently expanding America’s military presence in East Asia. Washington policymakers seem determined to keep at least 100,000 military personnel in the region, apparently forever.

The Cold War ended a decade ago, but America’s defense posture has changed little, especially in East Asia. Doug Bandow, a nationally syndicated columnist, is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and the author and editor of several books, including Tripwire: Korea and U.S.

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