Building on these meetings, the US should energetically seek to establish a genuine multilateral security forum for East Asia. It is not enough for the US to claim that it supports such an institution. Washington must actively seek to construct one. The organization would provide a forum for arms control negotiations, confidence building measures and the peaceful resolution of disputes such as the one sparked by a collision between a US spy plane and a Chinese jet fighter.
Finally, Washington must very carefully study how major adjustments in US defense policies or deployments might influence the regional security equation. Before deploying a Theater Missile Defense (TMD) system in East Asia, careful consideration must be given to the likely consequences that such a move might provoke. Washington must seek to become part of the solution to the arms race in East Asia, not part of the problem. Consideration should be given to using TMD as a bargaining chip in regional arms reduction conferences.
With the proposal on the table, Beijing and Pyongyang might ultimately be enticed to reduce their growing arsenals of weapons.
It would be a gross exaggeration to suggest that conflict in East Asia is imminent. All concerned parties have in common a desire to find a peaceful resolution to the region's festering disputes. However, continuing down the present road -- a path leading toward a full-fledged arms race -- is fraught with risk. It is for this reason that Washington must take some concrete steps to curb arms proliferation and promote peace and stability in the Western Pacific.
Dennis V. Hickey is professor of political science at Southwest Missouri State University and author of the book, Armies of East Asia: China, Taiwan, Japan and the Koreas.
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