The Relevance of Security Pluralism to the Asia-Pacific Region In the Asia Pacific Region we need more security pluralism thinking and less balance of power thinking. This is true today and will become even more important in the future. Today, several territorial and political problems could spark a major crisis or even conflict. Peace on the Korean Peninsula remains fragile, disputed territorial claims in the South China Sea have the potential to turn violent. India and Pakistan continue to confront one another over Kashmir.
Relations are tenuous between China and Taiwan, two of Asia's largest economies.
There are other unresolved territorial disputes in the region. Few of these security issues are just bilateral. Since fifty percent of the world's economy derives from Asia, the globalization of economics and finance means that any significant problem affects the world economy. The proliferation of missiles also extends the international threat. North Korea's launch of a Taepo Dong missile over Japan has demonstrated how war on the peninsula could rapidly become a broader conflict.