It is this ideological divide that is undermining the development in East Asia of institutions that establish principles, rules, and decision-making procedures for the region. While much of the West is bound together by institutions like the Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe and NATO, East Asia’s main body, the ASEAN Regional Forum, is too weak to play an analogous role, leaving the region beset with unregulated rivalries.
这一意识形态分歧破坏了东亚的机构建设，导致没有形成制定原则、规则和决策流程的地区机构。大部分西方国家通过欧安组织和北约等机构而联系在一起，但东亚的主要机构——东盟地区论坛太软弱，无法起到类似的作用，这使得东亚陷入了不受约束的对峙状态。