The thesis delves deeply into the development background of East Asian regional cooperation and its complex political landscape, highlighting China's pivotal role in political cooperation among South Korea, China, and Japan. In the theoretical backgro...
The thesis delves deeply into the development background of East Asian regional cooperation and its complex political landscape, highlighting China's pivotal role in political cooperation among South Korea, China, and Japan. In the theoretical background section, it reviews the process of European integration and related studies. By analyzing the historical reconciliation process between Germany and France as a key example of European integration, it provides insights into how major European nations leveraged political leadership and policy networks for cooperation and integration. Special attention is given to the role of Jean Monnet, known as the father of European integration, explaining how his policy network contributed to the promotion of European unity. Monnet laid the groundwork for European countries to pursue common interests through a strategy that linked economic cooperation to political integration, offering significant implications for East Asian nations.
The study explores the current challenges East Asian cooperation faces across various fields, including politics and economics, based on the successful experiences of European integration. Through a comprehensive literature review, including academic studies, Chinese government documents, and media reports, the thesis synthesizes China’s positions on each issue from the dual perspectives of government stances and academic evaluations.
The thesis focuses on analyzing four key political issues: national unification, historical disputes, territorial disputes, and U.S. regional involvement.
First, the issue of national unification encompasses inter-Korean relations on the Korean Peninsula and cross-strait relations between China and Taiwan. The author analyzes China's policies and stances regarding peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in cross-strait relations, viewing these issues as not only critical security concerns in East Asia but also factors significantly impacting the deepening of political cooperation among South Korea, China, and Japan.
Second, the thesis addresses historical disputes, particularly how Japan’s postwar historical perceptions trigger conflicts among South Korea, China, and Japan, as well as the Goguryeo history controversy between South Korea and China. The author points out that historical issues remain major obstacles in Sino-Japanese and Sino-Korean relations, negatively affecting trust-building among the three nations.
Third, concerning territorial disputes, the thesis examines sensitive territorial issues such as the Diaoyu Islands(Senkaku Islands) and Dokdo(Takeshima), which escalate tensions between China and Japan and between South Korea and Japan, serving as significant barriers to regional cooperation.
Lastly, the thesis analyzes U.S. regional involvement, focusing on the impact of its military guarantees supporting South Korea and Japan. It highlights how U.S. engagement in East Asia intensifies U.S.-China competition, posing challenges to regional cooperation.
China’s attitudes and policies, as a major player in the East Asian region, deeply influence regional cooperation. However, China’s assertive stance acts as a barrier to trilateral cooperation among South Korea, China, and Japan in several ways.
Regarding national unification and historical disputes, China adopts a firm stance on the Taiwan issue and prioritizes its interests in its policies on the Korean Peninsula. These approaches undermine trust in China’s policies among neighboring countries, hindering political cooperation among the three nations. Additionally, unresolved historical disputes between China and Japan perpetuate political conflicts, while potential conflicts, such as the Goguryeo history controversy in Sino-Korean relations, limit mutual understanding and cooperative relations. Historical issues also obstruct cultural and historical reconciliation among the three countries.
In territorial disputes and U.S. involvement, China’s assertive territorial claims exacerbate Sino-Japanese confrontations and heighten regional tensions. Moreover, China’s ambiguous stance on the South Korea-Japan territorial dispute raises doubts in South Korea, potentially weakening strategic trust between South Korea and China. China’s opposition to U.S. involvement exacerbates U.S.-China regional conflicts, driving South Korea and Japan to rely more heavily on the United States, further narrowing the prospects for trilateral cooperation in East Asia.
China’s assertive policies demonstrate a clear determination to safeguard national sovereignty and core interests but also intensify tensions and conflicts in the region. This weakens political trust among South Korea, China, and Japan, posing a fundamental obstacle to building a framework for cooperation. Advancing East Asian cooperation requires China to moderate its assertive stance on specific issues and build mutual trust with neighboring countries.
In conclusion, the study comprehensively analyzes the major factors hindering East Asian political cooperation from China’s perspective and explores ways to overcome them, seeking possibilities for peace and cooperation in East Asia. Drawing on the experiences of European integration, the study examines the potential for resolving conflicts through trust-building and dialogue mechanisms in East Asia.
The thesis emphasizes that long-term and continuous dialogue and consultations are necessary for South Korea, China, and Japan to resolve historical conflicts and political disputes. Mutual respect and understanding among nations are essential for trust-building. Jean Monnet’s European integration model offers valuable insights for East Asian cooperation, showing that economic cooperation can lead to political trust and integration. By aligning economic interests, Monnet provided the foundation for political integration in Europe, and this approach is deemed applicable to East Asia.
Thus, the study proposes leveraging the example of European integration to develop a sustainable cooperation model in East Asia, enhancing the potential for political trust and genuine integration beyond mere economic cooperation. For East Asia to achieve stability and prosperity, it is imperative for all nations to respect each other’s positions and establish systematic and institutional dialogue channels to resolve conflicts. This is a critical task for South Korea, China, and Japan to address for regional security and economic cooperation.