In short, the dissolution of the Old Order in East Asia has created a delicate power balance there, rendered intrinsically unstable by China’s regional ambitions, understandable though they may be, and America’s equally understandable resolve to preserve as much of its old regional dominance as possible. Whether the two nations can successfully manage this fragile transition and thus stabilize the regional power balance remains a central question facing Asia—and the world beyond—in these times of global flux.

Alan Dupont is professor of international security and director of the Institute for International Security and Development at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.

Part of TNI's special issue on the Crisis of the Old Order.