Introduction A Problem of Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific1

Three themes emerge in the literature on post-Cold War Asia-Pacific. The first concerns the impact that the end of the Cold War has had or will have on the evolution of the Asia-Pacific international system. The second theme focuses on the challenges posed to the Asia-Pacific states by the new security agenda. And the third theme addresses the problem of institutionalizing security in the Asia-Pacific. In this article, I address these three themes and assess the relevance of Samuel Huntington’s ‘clash of civilizations’ hypothesis for the future evolution of the Asia-Pacific international system.