Advertisement
Opinion | Ukraine war provides a vital lesson to Asia – never take peace for granted
- South China Sea tensions, the India-China border conflict and missile tests on the Korean peninsula are just some potential sources of conflict in our region
- While Asian countries boost military spending, conflict management tools like mediation, and not an arms race, is what will help maintain harmony
Reading Time:5 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
27
The war in Ukraine is a wake-up call for us not to take any peace that we enjoy for granted. Certainly we, in Asia, cannot take peace for granted.
The fallout from Afghanistan, the coup in Myanmar, tensions in the South China Sea, border conflicts between China and India, missile tests on the Korean peninsula, local skirmishes involving non-state armed groups from South Asia to Southeast Asia – these are just some of the potential sources of conflicts we have been living with in Asia.
Given this background, it is timely for Asians to explore what tools we are investing in to prevent, mitigate and resolve current and future conflicts in Asia.
So far, the response of many Asian governments to such potential conflicts has been to increase military spending. Defence spending in the region grew 52.7 per cent between 2010 and 2020, based on data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Advertisement
The Ukraine war is likely to fuel further increases in military spending in Asia. In the wake of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe also suggested Tokyo should consider hosting US nuclear weapons.
An arms race does not help in promoting harmony and resolving conflict. Instead, it increases the risk of miscalculations and misunderstandings, deepens mistrust between countries, and magnifies the costs of confrontation.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x