Military power remains the most effective way for a state to achieve its national interests.Discuss in relation to one event or issue in the Asia Pacific region.

Contrary to widespread belief held through most of the 20th century, military power does not necessarily remain the most effective way for a state to achieve it national interests. Power can be defined as ‘the capacity of a nation to use its tangible and intangible resources in such a way as to affect the behaviour of other nations. National interests are the goals a state desires to survive and prosper. In the past, military power has proven to be a very influential form of power in a nation’s quest to achieve their national interests. However, military power alone is rarely enough for a state to attain these interests. Since the end of WW2, there appears to be more reluctance to use military power due to the significant advances in weaponry such as nuclear and chemical weapons. The fear of nuclear obliteration, among other factors, appears to have reduced nation’s willingness to use milita...