Constructing Cooperation: Toward Multilateral Security Cooperation in Northeast Asia

With the ending of the Cold War, Northeast Asia, like many other areas of the globe, has undergone a significant shift in the mechanism by which states interact with each other. The purpose of this paper is to propose a theoretically informed, yet I believe pragmatic view of how the states of the region interact. From this, I will extrapolate conclusions about the future interactions of the great powers in the region and one possibility for a multilateral approach to security relations. I will generally dispute realist views that Northeast Asia is wholly a realpolitik region. While there are realpolitik forces at work, the attitudes and behaviors of the majority of states tend toward ideas more consonant with neo-liberal institutionalism or structural constructivism. Simply put, institutions and ideas do matter.