The Post-cold War Era - The United States - Asean Security Triangular Relationship Probe

As the U.S. interpose the dispute of the South China Sea between China and ASEAN with a high-profile in recent years, the security situation of east asian becomes increasingly tense. This article attempts to put China-U.S.-ASEAN which are the three main forces in Asia-Pacific region into a trilateral system and to explain how the actors interact in the system,the aims of doing this is to solve the status of imbalance and instability in the security trilateral interaction, then to create a stable and peaceful Asia-Pacific security structure. On the basis of carding the historical evolution of the security trilateral interaction, this article emphasizes how the trilateral structure, the estimate of the interests of all sides, the security institution influence the development of the security trilateral, then points out that there are some constraint factors in the interaction of the security relations, at last, puts forward countermeasures and suggestions on how to address these issues in order to achieve a kind of benign interaction.The main content of this article is the third, fourth, fifth part.The fourth, the fifth part is the key. Chapter 3 sorts out the formation process of the security trilateral relations which from the beginning to the end of the Cold War with a method of historical research, and also puts this process into the initial relaxation period of 70 years and the formation period of the interaction during the Cambodian crisis, then points out that the process of the formation is the premise and bedding to the security trilateral interaction after the Cold War.Chapter 4 sets multiple research perspective which contain a combinative theories of international relations to analyse the developmental process of trilateral interaction after the Cold War, it also sets views of structural dimension, individual dimension and dimension of the security institution to reflect the cooperation and competition of the security trilateral. To structural dimension, through the structural description for the triangular power distribution to illustrate the behavior of each side must follow the limitative principle of structural system. To individual dimension, through the analysis of the security interests of each side as a starting point to describe and demonstrate safe trilateral interaction. To dimension of the security institution, view the Asia-Pacific regional security institutions as a platform to explain the interaction of the security trilateral relationship. Concluded on these basis, the features of China-U.S.-ASEAN security trilateral relationship are: an exoteric and unstable security trilateral, the options of security interaction are more cooperative security and comprehensive security, security interaction are asymmetry in the system, the transmission of the three pairs of bilateral security relations are bluntness.Chapter 5 analyse that there are now some constraints in the security trilateral relationship: cultural differences on all sides, the integration of ASEAN is not high, structural constraints of the international system, factor of the leaders, constraint for economy and energy, issues of South China Sea and the Taiwan.This chapter also points out that if want the China-U.S.-ASEAN security trilateral relationship into a benign interaction track, we should balance the existing China-U.S.-ASEAN security trilateral relationship as a logical starting point, relaxation and digestion the differences of the interests in the trilateral security, nurture and develop the basis of common security interests, eventually make the security trilateral toward a constructive relations.