Arms transfer and the Asia‐Pacific region

Asia's share in total global arms imports has been increasing annually. Since 1988, it has exceeded that of the Middle East, making this region the second largest arms market after Europe. Professor Takahiro Shinyo of the Osaka School of International Public Policy notes that new threat perceptions, sources of regional instability, and modernization drives by ASEAN militaries have created an Asia‐Pacific imperative for greater transparency, self‐restraint, and cooperation in the security field. He warns that dialogue alone will not suffice and proposes concrete measures to stem the arms flow, including full ARF participation in the UN Conventional Arms Register.