East Asia in the System of International Relations of the 19th-Early 20th Centuries: Transformation of the Regional Order

Abstract

This article examines the evolution of East Asia in the international relations system of the 19th and early 20th centuries in the context of the transition from the Vienna, Paris (Crimea), and Berlin systems of international relations. It analyzes the transformation of the regional subsystem from a Sinocentric model to a system characterized by increasing external intervention by European powers, the United States, and Russia, as well as the gradual growth of Japan's role as an emerging regional leader. Particular attention is paid to the processes of "opening" of East Asian countries, unequal treaties, colonial pressure, and the formation of a new regional balance of power structure. It is shown that during this period, East Asia was transformed from a relatively autonomous civilizational system into an object of global geopolitical competition. The study is based on a comparative historical approach and an analysis of international political transformations..