Why Has East Asia Avoided Major War? — Timo Kivimäki

21. 8. 2024

This episode of The IR thinker explores Professor Timo Kivimäki’s notion of a “Long Peace” in East Asia, examining its historical roots, the role of non-interference, developmentalism and economic interdependence, and the distinct diplomatic practices that underpin regional stability. The conversation also addresses key criticisms, current security threats, and what Western policy-makers and scholars might learn from East Asian approaches to peacekeeping and order-building.

Timo Kivimäki

Professor Timo Kivimäki is a leading scholar of International Relations, currently Professor at the University of Bath and Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Sejong Institute in Seoul. He has previously held professorships at the Universities of Helsinki, Lapland and Copenhagen, and directed both the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies and the Institute of Development Studies in Helsinki, contributing extensively to peace research and the study of East Asian international relations.

Publications:

Protecting the Global Civilian from Violence

The Failure to Protect: The Path to and Consequences of Humanitarian Interventionism

The Long Peace of ASEAN

Power, contribution and dependence in NATO burden sharing

Content

00:00 - Introduction
02:15 - Inspiration for Studying Peace in the East Asia Region
03:42 - Challenges Faced in Researching East Asia
05:19 - Defining the Long Peace of East Asia
07:06 - Differentiating the Long Peace from Other Peace Periods in the Region
08:22 - The Principle of Non-Interference
11:15 - Origins of the Non-Interference Concept in East Asia
12:57 - Criticism: Non-Interference and the Perpetuation of Authoritarian Violence
17:44 - The Concept of Developmentalism
19:07 - China and ASEAN’s Role in East Asian Peace
21:25 - Face-Saving Strategies in Diplomacy
25:27 - Economic Interdependence in East Asia
27:42 - Exploring Other Forms of Interdependence
28:57 - Weaknesses in the Long Peace of East Asia Theory
31:36 - Balancing Non-Interference with Humanitarian Intervention in East Asia
34:22 - Diverse Regimes and the Notion of Democratisation in East Asia
39:36 - Lessons the West Can Learn from East Asian Peacekeeping
43:36 - Multipolarity vs. the Current West-Led International Order
46:51 - Explaining Current Security Threats in East Asia
52:33 - Potential Research Gaps in East Asian Peace Studies
54:43 - Diversity of Researchers in Peace Studies