China-Taiwan Issues in the Security Climate of East and Southeast Asia

Abstract The security architecture of East and Southeast Asia is in a process of extensive change, driven by the rising Chinese state, but also by the US, which, with its military and institutional power here, is a pillar of stability that seeks to preserve American supremacy and the liberal international system. Current developments show that some of China’s neighbors are no longer inclined simply to fall in line with Beijing’s policy, but rather are determined to challenge its inclination towards regional hegemony, and are arming themselves to do so, diversifying its security relations and forging strong ties with the US, denouncing China’s attempts to create a sino-centric system based on building an ‘Asian’ security and economic architecture, translated into institutional arrangements based on cooperation mechanisms centered on (and for the benefit of) the Chinese state.