Totalitary regimes in security regionalism

The emergence of a multilateral security framework would enable states in the Asia-Pacific to face the new security threat structure caused by globalization and increased interdependence. The present analysis with the main focus on the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) is aimed to explain why effective security cooperation is unlikely to evolve in the Asia-Pacific. What the ineffectiveness of the only security institution in Asia is usually attributed to is its guiding norms institutionalizing non-interference and ossifying state sovereignty. However, this study argues that in order to understand the institutional impasse, the focus of analysis should be reshifted to domestic variables, especially regime type, that account for actors\' motivations or demotivations to engage in enhanced security cooperation. As it is pointed out, it is mainly the totalitarian regime of China and North Korea that impede the development of a security structure because doing so would risk overthrowing their rigid regimes. The analysis is not only useful to professionals in security studies but also to anyone interested in the extent to which Asian actors have a say in shaping the world\'s security structure.