Asia's ability to construct effective multilateral institutions for integration and cooperation-what is now called Asian "architecture"-will be a major determinant in whether the region moves closer to interdependence and stability or whether it succumbs to rivalry and confrontation. Traditionally, stability in Asia has relied on America's bilateral alliances with Japan, Australia, and the Republic of Korea. Yet in recent years emergent and more active multilateral forums-such as the Six Party Talks on North Korea and the East Asia Summit-have played a crucial role, engendering both cooperation and competition while at the same time reflecting the local concerns of the region.

Some are concerned that this process is moving toward less-inclusive, bloc-based "talking shops" rather than a more open, problem-solving regionalism. Also, the future direction and success of these arrangements, along with the implications for global and regional security and prosperity, remain unclear. The fifteen experts in this volume provide national perspectives on regional institutional architecture and their functional challenges. They illuminate areas of cooperation that will move the region toward substantive collaboration, convergence of norms, and strengthened domestic institutions. They also highlight the degree to which institution-building in Asia-a region composed of liberal democracies, authoritarian regimes, and anachronistic dictatorships-has become an arena for competition among major powers and conflicting norms, and look assess the future shape of Asian security architecture., reviewing a previous edition or volume