Analysis On The Military Expansion Of ASEAN Countries

In recent years, a number of ASEAN countries are accelerating the adjustment ofmilitary strategy, increasing the military budget substantial, competing to buy advancedweapons, setting off a wave of regional military expansion boom. ASEAN country’s militaryexpansion action is mainly reflected in the military spending increase, large quantities ofadvanced weapon purchase, military strategy and defense policy adjustment. There are manyfactors contribute to military expansion of the ASEAN countries lately. From the internalfactors of the ASEAN countries, the steady economic development of ASEAN countries haslaid a solid material foundation for military expansion and achieve the modernization ofnational defense, maintain national unity and political stability which is the urgent need tostrengthen the determination of the national army expansion. From ASEAN country’sinter-state factors, there are a series of contradictions among the ASEAN countries as animportant reason for ASEAN military expansion which lies in the ownership of the territoryand territorial sea, the division of exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. Fromoutside the area factors,"China threat theory " still exists, the implement of America’s " returnto Asia "strategy add fuel to the ASEAN military expansion. The recent military expansion ofthe ASEAN countries has produced many effects which affected the construction of thepolitical mutual trust among ASEAN countries, caused a negative impact on the constructionof the ASEAN Community, exerted complex influence of the relations among major powersin the Asia-Pacific region.