International relations in the world are controlled by various organizations, such as The United Nations (UN), The European Union (EU), and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). International relations between countries have been subjected to the need for improving the relationship between countries as well as minimizing the risks associated with international political disputes. However, political theories introduced since the end of the Cold War continue to affect the international relations between countries. One of the theories that have been effective is the realism, which articulates the political conflicts between nations (Mearsheimer 9).
The classical realist model was once used to bring competition between nations in the context of superiority. However, the modern international relations is based on the superiority of nations in the framework of which nation has the most powerful military. For instance, the Northeast Asia countries have emerged to proclaim military power with their advanced and developed military assets (Wirth 556). Therefore, other countries such as the US are intervening to ensure that the Northeast Asia countries do not use their military force against other nations.
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Classical realism was based on the notion that nations played tricks towards other countries as a measure to maintain competition in superiority. Moreover, political realism is the action taken by countries in becoming powerful and hindering other countries in gaining power (Mearsheimer 9). The struggle for power between nations around the globe can be categorized by the security competition, which makes a nation to go for powerful military products that would help a country in surviving any possible political dispute. For instance, the countries in Northeast Asia, such as South Korea, Japan, and China, have been developing and integrating security measures. These countries have heavily invested in military equipment, which raises an alarm of whether there would be a conflict between the nations (Wirth 557). The Northeast Asia countries are becoming ready for a war that would probably never occur.
Furthermore, the classical realism model depicts the assumption that the countries in political and security unforeseen competition relate to one another in an anarchic system. The anarchic system does not relate to chaos or lawlessness based on the security competition, but is supported by the idea that each nation in the competition has their independent political unit which is the government. Realism also claims that each country is sovereign and there are no existing international systems that can affect their decisions (Mearsheimer 10). For example, the international relation bodies do not control realist states. Therefore, the assumption of being anarchic prevents the international bodies to intervene in the internal affairs of the countries within the realist models such as the Northeast Asia countries.
Moreover, the Northeast Asia countries tend to have the highest percentage (24%) of conventional weapon importers in the world. For instance, South Korea is ranked second, while China is ranked fourth and Japan holds the sixth position of the countries that import largest and superior amounts of weapons (Wirth 557). Therefore, the imports of weapons would pose a threat to the international relations. Additionally, political realism entails the capability of accessing and possessing lethal weapons that would harm other nations.
The presence of lethal weapons within different nations can pose a threat to other nations which would instigate conflict and the need for acquiring similar power encouraging security competition. The availability of superior weapons will have a potential threat to other nations meaning that other states would improve their military power as a way of sustaining competition. For instance, the relationship between South Korea, Japan, and China has been deteriorating based on the need for superiority in the context of security competition. Japan and South Korea have been collaborating against rising China due to the economic and military development found in the Chinese government (Wirth 557). Therefore, the effect of political realism can affect the relationship between neighboring nations that are in security competition.
International relations can be at risk based on the availability of security competition within the political realism model. The countries with the possession of lethal weapons inflict fear towards other nations. Moreover, realism contemplates that nations within the security competition would not know or predict the intentions of the other nations that have superior military power (Mearsheimer 12). For instance, China would not know whether Japan will ever use their weapons against the Chinese government. Therefore, each neighboring country will be living with uncertainty on the intentions of the other nations with the possession of lethal weapons. For example, the historical disputes between South Korean and Japan brought mixed reactions between both countries in the recent interactions. The Japanese president demanded an apology from South Korean Emperor for the wartime atrocities (Wirth 563). The discussion brought the idea of whether both countries would engage in fights which would have adverse effects based on the assumption of the effects of their weapons to both nations. Both states are known to possess deadly weapons which could adversely affect the citizens. However, the dispute was settled diplomatically but could have been worse if the countries could have engaged in an exchange of fire.
Access and the possession of lethal weapons have been an issue in international relations, whereby various international bodies prevent the manufacture and use of such weapons. However, Northeast Asia countries, such as Japan, China, and South Korea, have invested heavily in their advanced military power, which poses a threat to other countries around the globe. Moreover, political realism used in post-cold war has affected the modern international relations whereby some countries are investing in security competition. The thought of military power can threaten or instigate fear to other countries with the assumption that these countries with military power would threaten peace as they can engage in military action towards other countries. Therefore, classical realism can affect peace and international relations in the world as seen in Northeast Asia.
