Security In Northeast Asia: Approaching The Pacific Century

Among the several informative essays in this collection, the one by Sarah Taylor on the military balances in Northeast Asia is outstanding. She analyzes with convincing detail the potential for military conflict on the Sino-Soviet border, in Korea, in the Sea of Japan and in the sea-lanes of the Western Pacific. What emerges from the discussion is a consistent portrait of the Soviet Union and North Korea, isolated diplomatically and economically in Northeast Asia and relying heavily on military power. The essay evidently predates Gorbachev's efforts to revitalize Moscow's diplomatic position in the region.