Security interdependence in the Asia Pacific region /

Morley (Columbia) has assembled essays by six academic writers who comment on the strategic interactions of the US, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). Morley introduces the topic, citing common perceptions of Asia's non-Communist states to external threats and regional balances of power. The other authors expand on this within the context of specific national interests. As in Jorgensen-Dahl's Regional Organization and Order in Southeast Asia (CH, Dec '82) and articles in the Far Eastern Economic Review and Asia Pacific Community, most essays draw on secondary English-language sources. There are curious and unexplained omissions. The chapter on South Korea and Taiwan does not mention ongoing nuclear research and development. The essay on ASEAN minimizes the external support major domestic insurrectionary groups receive from both China and Vietnam. Burma lies outside the purview of any of the essays. There is no acknowledgement that ANZUS (AustraliaNew ZealandUS) security arrangements have disintegrated; instead, there is a fanciful reference to a possible Japanese tie to ANZUS. The book's strength lies in its balanced discussions of past diplomatic practices and procedures and US-regional military relations and balances. For supplementary use in advanced college courses and reference in all purpose public libraries.-R. Peritz, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania