Power and Primacy: A History of Western Intervention in the Asia-Pacific

by A.B. Abrams

Today the Asia-Pacific region stands on the verge of major change, with centuries of western dominated regional order being seriously challenged and quite possibly nearing its end. The emergence of a potential new order dominated by regional rather than extra-regional powers - an �Asia for the Asiatics� in the words of Japan's pan-Asian scholars - means it is now more than ever essential to understand the history of the current western-dominated system, the full implications should it continue and the nature of the West's intentions towards the region.

This book undertakes the task of elucidating the complex and little-known history of western intervention in the Asia-Pacific, providing information critical to understanding contemporary developments

Genres: History, Asia

752 pages, Paperback

First published March 29, 2019

About the author

A.B. Abrams is an expert on the international relations and security of the Asia-Pacific region. He has published widely on defense and politics under various pseudonyms, and is proficient in Chinese, Korean, and other East Asian languages. Abrams has completed Master's degrees in related subjects at the University of London. His works have received strong endorsements from senior military officials, diplomats, professors, and UN experts, among others.

Reviews

[John Davie]

The United States is in terminal decline. It's military spending is vast and inefficient and with a stagnating and indebted economy, looking increasingly unsupportable. China and the DPRK have successfully resisted US aggression so far, with sanctions and trade warfare having little affect. Meanwhile China is moving from strength to strength, with a well targeted and well defined defensive mission for its military, and without the necessity of supporting a wide array of military bases and occupying a series of client states like the United States, it is looking a more and more formidable opponent.

Nonetheless China's economy remains vulnerable, it's trade routes in the South China Sea are threatened by US clients and bases in Taiwan, Japan and the Phillipines, and it's economy relies heavily on energy imports by sea, particularly through the Malacca and surrounding straights. A US blockade could cripple the Chinese Economy. Nonetheless China is moving quickly to counter the threat, it is investing heavily in Eurasian infrastructure through it's Belt and Road Initiative to help reduce its dependence on seaborne trade. And it is investing heavily in renewable energy to increase energy sovereignty.

Western monopolies on financial resources and currency markets which have until now been weaponised to enforce western hegemony are being undermined by new Asian centred institutions such as Asian Infrastructure Development Bank and the Chinese Development Bank.

Western hegemony in Asia is rapidly diminishing. And with economic and political methods being increasingly less effective, the risk is that the United States and it's Allies will fall back on raw military power to attempt to maintain their hegemony by brute force.

[Michael Haltom]

One of the greatest history books I've ever read

I loved to read a history book that described the truth about how the west wants to basically control the world by using propaganda manipulation, power projection, financial extortion while at the same time, pretending to be a force for good.

[Taylor]

This is magisterial and it’s a shame that hardly anyone seems to know it even exists.