Unlike Europe or Latin America, Asia hasn’t witnessed a major war since the end of the Vietnam War in the mid-1970s, Haas pointed out.
Territorial claims have always dogged the region, ranging from Russia and Japan’s post-World War II island dispute to current South China Sea tensions, but they never escalated into war, “partly because no country has wanted to jeopardize economic growth by initiating a conflict,” Haas said.
Asia’s demographics also help explain decades of stability.
“Most Asian countries host relatively homogeneous societies with strong national identities, the chance of civil conflicts erupting and spilling over national borders is relatively low,” Haas said.
Moreover, decades of a deep-rooted U.S. military presence reduced the need for Asian countries to develop large military programs of their own, “and reinforced a status quo that discourages armed adventurism,” Haas continued.
