These political transitions could compound East Asia’s challenges, which include the need to institute a regional balance of power and dispense with historical baggage that weighs down interstate relationships, particularly among China, Japan, and South Korea. Booming trade in the region has failed to mute or moderate territorial and other disputes; on the contrary, it has only sharpened regional geopolitics and unleashed high-stakes brinkmanship.
这些政治交接可能让东亚挑战复杂化，东亚需要形成一个地区全力平衡，摆脱让各国间交恶的历史负担，特别是中日韩三国之间的历史问题。地区贸易繁荣没能让领土和其他纠纷消声甚至缓和；相反，还激化了地区地缘政治，导致了一系列高风险冒险政策。经济上的相互依赖无法带来地区稳定，除非对峙国采取真心实意的措施修复它们之间的政治关系。