Commentary
It is a common cliché that the Asia-Pacific is somehow in the “grip of a regional arms race.” Every few months, there appears an article in the press that Asian militaries are in a “missile race” or a “naval arms race” or some kind of “action-reaction arming.” Much of this is driven by rising regional tensions and enabled by steady increases in Asian military spending, which, in turn, have fueled a veritable shopping spree for advanced conventional weaponry.
