Getting Asia Wrong: The Need for New Analytical Frameworks

International relations theories based on the European experience do not accurately explain international relations in Asia with its different political economy, history, culture, & demographics. Pessimistic predictions of an arms race & power politics in Asia & standard formulations of realism that predicted power balancing against the People's Republic of China have not happened. Instead, China's neighbors appear to be bandwagoning. This article discusses why the predictions of the 1990s did not materialize & emphasizes the need for scholars to acknowledge this challenge to realist theories. The tensions between areas studies & political science theorizing in the field of comparative politics can lead to improvement. Careful use of these theories may aid in understanding Asia & in strengthening the theories themselves. 1 Table, 1 Figure. L. A. Hoffman