Conflict and cooperation in modern regionalization processes

The high degree of integration in the global economy has led to a re-allocation of the world\'s resources.  Today, all the countries are interdependent in the same world economic system, which is unprecedented.  Historically, the competition for resources has been the root cause of wars. This trend toward global economic integration could be helpful to eliminate the root causes of war by creating economic bonds that would be costly to destroy.

Although nuclear weapons and economic globalization are the two cornerstones of contemporary peace, thousands of years of traditional realist strategic thinking still largely dominates many countries’ thinking and behavior. Firstly, it is easier for a non-nuclear country to fight a war with another non-nuclear country because the costs are lower than battling against a nuclear power.  It is easier to fight this type war than a nuclear war.  Secondly, a nuclear country, knows that they are not likely to be attacked by a non-nuclear country.  This is because they can deploy advanced weapons in their defense. Third, some large countries, such as the U.S., Russia, China, and India, tend toward perpetual peace in the economic field, while preparing to deploy in the military field for the possibilities and uncertainties war. Compared with the European regional integration, the integration process in Asia still cannot get rid of the traditional "security dilemma."  The great powers diplomatic behavior is very peculiar and contradicted in this situation.

Personally, I think politics, diplomacy, and the use of military force are basically subject to larger economic forces. But I don’t think the prospects for the world are pessimistic.  Global economic integration will lead to the administrative integration of the financial world.  This will eventually require integration of the world\'s military administration as well. For example, the U.S. military base Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean was previously used for war operations, but now it is used to fight against piracy and maintain world maritime transportation in the area. Globalization will force countries to change and abandon the subjective motives for war and become conscious defenders of world peace.

II Weakening the sovereignty and permanent peace in the era of globalization

Confucius, from our traditional Chinese culture, thought that war is a tool of morality and that ethical principles can guide legitimate wars. Recently, the Western world\'s ideas of "human rights overriding sovereignty" and "humanitarian military intervention" exactly coincide with the Chinese Confucian concepts of war from more than 2000 years ago.  For example, Confucius teaches that, “The side that represents the highest morality can defeat the immoral side. God\'s army can attack the devil\'s army as well.” This shows that there is agreement between modern Western political thought and Chinese traditional thought----sovereignty is not paramount----morality may be more important.  The interest of the people is supreme.  This is why we may have legitimate wars, but it also legitimizes internationalist political behavior when foreign powers seek to protect the rights of local peoples. The contemporary international community opposes the implementation of morality and justice on behalf of armed aggression to seek the national interest, which is the same as the Confucian concept, "The most immoral should be conquered unconditionally". So I think the East and West political and cultural values can communicate.

The emergence of the European Union gives us hope of lasting peace in the world.  It could also be used as a model for the regional integration of Asia. The reason why national sovereignty is often emphasized is because each state wants to ensure their own national interests in prosperity and development. The birth of the European Union shows that the weakening of state sovereignty is possible when the nations can get more prosperity and security only after giving up their sovereignty. When all countries get more prosperity and security through giving up their sovereignty through some form of world unity, then Kant’s perpetual peace will be achieved. Thus, the birth of the European Union is a significant model for the development of the Asia-Pacific region. Economic integration, political integration, cultural integration, the integration of social values, and the state giving up partial sovereignty are a few of the important steps taken by the European to bid farewell to the Millennium of War and move towards a permanent peace. The EU has been an inspiration to Asia, even as China and India rise in power.  It has taught China a particularly important lesson: that the world can get rid of the ancient cycle hegemonic power replacing another hegemonic power.

III The replacement of socialism and capitalism in a certain degree

If we abandon the hostile prejudices regarding socialism and capitalism we can see they complement each other.  Both of these social experiments have something to teach us.  For example, the Social Security old-age pension system in the United States was inspired by the old-age pension in rural China. While China\'s current pension system also learns from the United States and other Western industrialized societies.  Former socialist countries have now been following a market-based economic model and their political systems are also influenced to greater or lesser degrees. The capitalist countries also learn from the socialist planned economies by knowing they can intervene in the market under exceptional circumstances. The Socialist ideal of universal welfare has been accepted in some Western countries as well.

Some concepts of communism are also operated by the western countries in different forms. For example, the core concept of "internationalism" in the "communist movement" is that the proletariat can liberate mankind.  While the United States and Western countries regard "human rights" and "democratic system" as their own historical mission.  These two ideologies have a common theme: only the well-being of others can make their own happiness reliable. When the former socialist countries no longer talked about "internationalism", former President Clinton claimed to be an "internationalist", and inadvertently took over the relay baton of the communist movement, which is a very interesting phenomenon, but also confirmed that socialism and capitalism are two kinds of social practice that have similarities.  Each group can learn from the other.

I firmly believe that a more perfect political system for human beings in the future is not the present democratic political system, nor a totalitarian politics.  It is beyond the two extremes toward a more perfect type of political system, as in Hegel’s beyond the "normal" and the "anti", in which we achieve "integration" of the political systems.

Thank you.