The Taiwan Center for Security Studies at National Chengchi University (NCCU), in collaboration with the and St. Andrew University, Osaka, invites scholars, researchers, policymakers, and experts to submit chapter proposals for a book tentatively titled Sharing the Burden of Regional Security: Extended Deterrence, Alliance Anxiety, and Strategic Choices in the Indo-Pacific.

The Indo-Pacific security order is undergoing a consequential recalibration. The United States has shifted toward a ‘peace through strength’ posture that prioritizes homeland defense and pushes allies to assume greater responsibility for their own security, even as its commitments to specific regional contingencies grow more ambiguous. In response, allies and partners across the region are visibly hedging—expanding defense budgets, deepening security ties with one another, and, in some cases, reopening long-dormant debates over nuclear latency and self-reliance. This edited volume situates these developments within the broader trajectory of U.S. grand strategy, examining how burden-shifting and strategic ambiguity are reshaping alliance credibility, regional stability, and policy choices across East Asia. Rather than focusing narrowly on any single issue area, the book emphasizes the larger strategic picture, while also creating space for structured policy debate on sensitive topics—such as extended deterrence and nuclearization—within clearly defined analytical boundaries.

Suggested themes:

1. Setting the Strategic Context: Burden-Shifting and the Indo-Pacific Order

  • Analyzing the strategic signals and priorities embedded in the 2025 U.S. National Defense Strategy and its “peace through strength” posture.
  • Assessing continuity and change in U.S. extended deterrence commitments amid a homeland-first defense strategy.
  • Examining the implications of strategic ambiguity and burden-shifting for alliance credibility and regional stability.

2. Regional Interpretations and Policy Adjustments

  • Comparing divergent threat perceptions among Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and other regional actors.
  • Analyzing strategic autonomy, hedging, and alignment choices across the Indo-Pacific.
  • Assessing the implications of these adjustments for regional security architecture and cooperation.

3. Extended Deterrence and the Nuclear Question in East Asia

  • Weighing the pros and cons of nuclearization as a policy option in East Asia.
  • Interrogating the limits and credibility of extended deterrence under the new National Defense Strategy.
  • Presenting explicit affirmative and negative analytical positions, with comparative and extra-regional perspectives welcome.

4. Norms, Institutions, and Strategic Stability

  • Assessing the future of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the IAEA.
  • Examining norm erosion, the nuclear taboo, and institutional resilience.
  • Weighing optimistic versus pessimistic trajectories for global nuclear governance.

We invite submissions of abstracts for chapters based on research papers, case studies, policy analyses, and interdisciplinary works related to the book’s theme. Chapters should contribute to a deeper understanding of the geopolitical shifts in the Indo-Pacific and the implications of U.S. burden-shifting and strategic ambiguity for extended deterrence and security policy in East Asia. Submissions may focus on any of the key points listed above or related topics within the book’s theme

Important Dates:

  • Abstract Submission Deadline: Nov 28, 2026
  • Notification of Acceptance: Dec 15, 2026
  • Full Chapter Submission Deadline: May 15, 2027

Please submit your abstract (250–300 words) and a brief bio (100 words) to tcsstw.org@gmail.com by November 28, 2026. Selected authors will be notified by December 15, 2026, and full chapters (approx. 5,000–8,000 words) should be submitted by May 15, 2027.

For any inquiries or further information, please contact tcsstw.org@gmail.com.

We look forward to your participation and contributions to this significant project on the evolving geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific region and the reconfiguration of alliance burden-sharing, extended deterrence, and security strategy in East Asia.

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