San Francisco System

The hub-and-spokes system, with the United States as the "hub" and no apparent connections between the "spokes" allowed the United States to exert hegemonistic influence over the smaller allies of the Asia-Pacific region. The legacy of the system continues to today, represented by the absence of the multilateral security architecture in the region like NATO. Bilateral agreements of the 1950s As the Cold War escalated, the United States started building military alliances in the Asia-Pacific region. It moved to sign a Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines in August 1951. Thereafter, a series of defense treaties were signed: the Security Treaty with Australia and New Zealand in September 1951, the Mutual Defense Treaty with the South Korea in October 1953, the Mutual Defense Treaty with the Republic of China in December 1954, and the Security Treaty with Japan in January 1960. Thanat–Rusk communiqué between U.S. and Thailand was agreed in March 1962, though not a mutual defense treaty. The hub-spokes systems was formed upon these treaties. Victor Cha proposed a reason for the United States’s choice for a bilateral structure with the powerplay theory. The underlying idea came from the domino theory – that if one country falls into communism, others will follow. He defines powerplay as 'the construction of an asymmetric alliance designed to exert maximum control over the smaller allies in the region that might engage in aggressive behavior against adversaries that could entrap the United States into an unwanted war.' Cha argued, the hub and spokes system allowed the United States to not only contain the threat posed by the Soviet Union but also acquire exclusive power over the Asia-Pacific region. However, the United States feared entrapment in an unwanted war; a way to restrain these rogue allies was therefore needed. The treaty contained South Korean President Syngman Rhee's ambitions to annex the North. Another anti-communist, authoritarian ally was Chiang Kai-Shek. His ambition to reconquer Mainland China also heightened the U.S. fear of entrapment in a prolonged conflict. Hence, the mutual defense treaty was limited to the region of Taiwan Strait instead of the whole claimed territory of Chiang's government. ==Rationale==

The hub-and-spokes system is a highly asymmetric alliance by nature in both security and economic dimensions, offering military protection and economic access through trade rather than aid. The rationale for entering this system, for minor powers, is the interest in alliances to increase security from military aggression. The major power may be interested in alliances with the minor powers not to defend its own territory, but to extend its sphere of military and foreign influence. However, as the Asia-Pacific region has grown in its own wealth and power, countries that had been under the asymmetric protection of the United States have increasingly faced calls to contribute more to their own defense. Talks between the US and South Korea and Japan are ongoing, but both countries have pledged to at least marginally increase their funding for US troop deployments within their borders. ==Japan==

It is important to note that the nature of the relationship was a bit different with Japan from other Asia-Pacific countries. The United States viewed Japan as a possible great power in East Asia. Thus, the United States constructed the strongest defense treaty with Japan. The United States wanted Japan to be more involved and share the burden in peace keeping in Asia. However, the Yoshida Doctrine shows that Japan did not share the same ideas. This is only the latest round in the long history of Japan's wrangling over its externally imposed post-war Constitution, particularly Article 9, which compels Japan to forswear warfare. ==See also==