The politics of Pan Asianism: Culture, capitalism and diplomacy in East Asia

Abstract

One of the distinguishing characteristics of international relations in the East Asian region since the end of the Cold War has been the rise of an invigorated form of pan‐Asianism. Embodied in the diplomatic speak of select East Asian leaders this rhetoric has entered scholarly discourse on the region as evidence of growing civilisational divide between East Asia and the North Atlantic. This paper offers a critique of this privileging of the rhetoric of pan‐Asianism by pointing to its constructed character. It argues that because both mainstream international relations theory and Asian Studies rest upon problematic epistemological and ontological assumptions a successful union which would allow for a more nuanced appreciation of the role played by culture in East Asian diplomacy has proved elusive. It concludes by suggesting that a reading of the significance of culture in an Asian diplomatic context which is more politically alert than those offered by mainstream Asian studies or international relations theory is accessible through insights offered by critical theoiy.