Security and threat perception in the Asia-pacific under realism: A comparative analysis of the people's republic of China and Japan

This dissertation offers a comparative analysis of security and threat perception in the Asia Pacific region through the theoretical lens of Realism, focusing on the People's Republic of China and Japan. Realist theory rests on the assumption that the anarchic structure of the international system compels states to pursue power as a means of survival. Building on this premise, the study centers its analysis on the two principal strands of Realism: offensive realism and defensive realism. Offensive realism argues that states seek to ensure security through power maximization and the pursuit of regional dominance. The hypothesis of this study is that China's offensive realist orientation and Japan's defensive realist strategies deepen regional security dilemmas, rendering the regional security structure fragile, and that the security environment in the region is shaped by the policies perceived and implemented by states. This dissertation seeks to answer three main research questions: How do China's and Japan's security policies in the Asia-Pacific region affect the balance of power and the regional security environment? How can the security environment of the Asia-Pacific region be explained within the framework of Realist theory? And to what extent do the security strategies and threat perceptions of these two states align with the assumptions and predictions of Realism? By critically examining security policy statements, implemented strategies, and threat perceptions related to military security, this study demonstrates the theoretical flexibility of Realism as a robust tool for interpreting divergent state behavior. The research ultimately contributes to the academic literature on the Asia Pacific security architecture by contextualizing the region's power struggles and strategic choices through a Realist lens.