Cooperative Security in the Asia-Pacific Region: Trends and Strategic Issue

The Asia-Pacific region is the largest centre of economic and political activity in the world. The specificity of the region is the absence of conflicts in the " hot " phase. However, in recent years, there has been an increase in contradictions between the main actors in the region particularly between the US and China (Kanaev, 2014). These contradictions are related to the implementation of the "Belt and Road Initiative" (Yatsenko, 2016). In this regard, the APR states face the task of ensuring security through cooperation. The main regional institution that can support the necessary agenda based on the principles of neutrality and mutual respect is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This paper analyses the approaches to security of state actors in international relations in the region and ASEAN as the most important international organization. The study uses a multiparadigm approach. The combination of theories of institutional liberalism and neo-Marxism allows to analyse the situation in the region from the point of view of both classical democracies and the socialist countries of the region, represented by China, Laos and Vietnam. Keywords: security, cooperation, Belt and Road initiative, China, USA, ASEAN