East Asia's rapidly changing role in international security, the global economy, development and global governance are expertly accounted for in this much-needed, state-of-the-art text. Xiaoming Huang offers an engaging and informed account of the key concepts, issues and actors working in this area. Ranging from the region's history, to culture and a comparative assessment of the region's states, this text is informed throughout by a compelling theoretical framework.In so doing, it unpicks the often complex relationships both at the domestic level and externally. Only with this understanding is it possible to make sense of the region's complex relationships both internally and externally. Structured around key concepts in international relations of war and peace, economic development and increased contemporary security threats, this text offers an empirically-rich, engaging account of the changing fortunes of East Asia.

1. Introduction 2. Theorizing IREA 3. Historical International Orders 4. War, Peace and Geopolitical Dynamics 5. The Bipolar Structure 6. Culture in IREA 7. Industrial Development 8. Economic Regionalism 9. Cooperative Security 10. Transnational Challenge 11. Domestic Structures 12. East Asia in the World 13. Conclusion: Futures of IREA.