Abstract
It has long been thought that the US alliance system provides the security guarantee which has stabilised the Asia-Pacific. In recent years the two anchors of the system, the alliances with Japan and Australia, have been enhanced. This article examines this process and considers the extent to which these moves have increased security and stability in one of the most important regions in the international system. The first and second parts of the article assess the contemporary state of each alliance and overview the ways in which they have been enhanced in recent years. The third considers the impact of these changes on regional order in the Asia-Pacific. The article concludes that it is the way in which the alliances are being enhanced which casts serious doubt on their ability to provide assurances to the region. The article argues that it is far from clear that the current trajectory of US policy in the region, and that of its allies, is going to be appropriate to the circumstances of the Asia-Pacific in the 21st century.
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