The Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue
The Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue (NEACD) is a unique multilateral “track II” forum involving foreign ministry officials, defense ministry officials, military officers, and academics from China, Russia, North and South Korea, Japan, and the United States. NEACD keeps vital lines of communication open in Northeast Asia by providing regularly scheduled meetings in an informal setting, allowing participants to candidly discuss issues of regional security and cooperation. NEACD requires that officials participate in their personal capacity, not as representatives for their governments, and that all discussions be kept off-the-record, rules that permit brainstorming and frank discussion of divergent views. The mixture of government officials and scholars contributes to the free-wheeling style of discussion.
History and Objectives
A number of conflicts that stem from historical mistrust and Cold War animosities persist in Northeast Asia. Four of the world’s most powerful nations (the United States, Russia, China, and Japan) have important interests in Northeast Asia and the Korean peninsula. When bilateral relations were tense, there were few opportunities for officials to engage with one another. Instability and even the risk of military conflict compelled the search for new mechanisms to reduce danger and enhance cooperation. Until the establishment of the Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue, however, not even an informal consultative process existed to advance such important objectives. These factors were what prompted the founding of NEACD in 1993 by IGCC Director Susan L. Shirk.
NEACD's Format
While East Asia has a number of region-wide official multilateral forums, such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC), NEACD is the only ongoing multilateral forum for Northeast Asia. NEACD operates on a “track II” basis: Officials participate in the meetings in their private capacity, not as official government representatives. Generally, five representatives from each country attend: one policy-level official each from the foreign and defense ministries, one uniformed military officer, and two experts from private research facilities, think tanks, or universities. Participants from the United States usually are deputy assistant secretaries for East Asia and the Pacific from the State and Defense Departments. Participants from other countries usually are at the level of director general.
The informality of the process allows participants to air their concerns and brainstorm about new approaches to building cooperation and reducing the risk of conflict in Northeast Asia. One day of each two-day meeting is devoted to national perspectives on security in Northeast Asia. The foreign ministry official from each country briefly presents his or her country’s perspective about the current situation. Following each presentation, participants ask questions and receive answers about the country’s policies in a lively give-and-take. Differences in perspective between different government agencies and the influence of domestic politics and public opinion help explain the policy-making context. The second day focuses on specific issues related to security and to regional cooperation in economic and environmental issues.
Meeting regularly back-to-back with NEACD is its Defense Information Sharing Study Project, a subcommittee that consists entirely of military and defense officials, who are increasing transparency and building confidence by talking with one another about their missions, forces, doctrines, policies, and exercises. NEACD has also organized one-day workshops on specific topics of interest to participants.
Policy
