Shifting Geopolitical Paradigms in East Asia

East Asian state actors – including Russia, Mongolia, China, Japan, DPRK, and South Korea – have been free of direct conflicts with one another since the end of the Cold War. The region’s involvement in multiple wars shaped each country’s foreign policy and a status-quo that kept conflicts at bay. This also includes the Cross-strait relations. 

In recent years, however, rising defense budgets, new levels of partnerships, and changing deterrence dynamics are shaping the region’s security environment. The Russia-North Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, shifts in China’s response to North Korea’s engagement, Japan’s 2025 White Paper, and the US “tariff governance” and burden sharing tactics under President Donald Trump, all mark a shift in the post WWII status-quo. 

https://arctusanalytics.com/2025/08/15/mongolia_insights_15/