order in which countries big and small can prosper together.”
They envisage a situation in which a number of major powers—China, India, Japan, Korea, and the United States—would be actively involved in the region by means of good political relationships, deep and preferential economic exchanges, and some degree of defense dialogue and exchange.
The aim is to create overlapping spheres of influence in the region that are competitive but positive-sum.
Ideally, this would translate into greater stability in the region because, first, in the negative sense, the major powers would be able to “keep an eye on each other” and to act as mutual deterrents against adventurism by one another.