At the turn of the century, and important economic interdependences notwithstanding, Northeast Asia figures among the world's potential regions of crisis. Given the role played by great powers and nuclear powers, the escalatory potential of possible conflicts on the Korean peninsula and the Taiwan Strait remains considerable. A continued Cold War-situation in Korea has been responsible for the fact that adaptations in the regional security architecture, when compared with Europe, have made little progress.
Inspired by the first "Europe-Northeast Asia Forum" (Ebenhausen, September 1997), this volume unites contributions by leading experts from the region (China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Mongolia), the USA, and the EU. Among issues discussed are recent trends in the Northeast Asian balance of powers, problems of regional cooperation, the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and a European role in the region.