Real Reciprocity: Balancing U.S. Economic and Security Policies in the Pacific Basin

by David B.H. Denoon

Throughout the Cold War the United States had an implicit understanding with the noncommunist states of the Pacific if they resisted Soviet and Chinese expansion, the United States would provide a nuclear deterrent, subsidize their conventional defense, give economic assistance, and provide open access to U.S. markets for their exports. In Real Reciprocity, David Denoon argues that without the Soviet threat and with the U.S. economy in decline, the United States can no longer afford to maintain these non-reciprocal arrangements. Denoon explores how America can create new, mutually beneficial relationships with the countries of the Pacific Basin. He presents an overview of the security relations between the United States and the region and analyzes the relationship between the security issues and the economic challenges facing the United States. Under Denoon’s proposed "real reciprocity," the United States demands resolution of the current trade imbalances and maintains its lead in the high-technology industries of the future. He argues that if the United States is to safeguard its interests and maintain the stability of the Pacific Basin, it must chart a new course for the 1990s. Real Reciprocity outlines the implications of such a policy and how it may be implemented.

115 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993