TY - BOOK AU - PATALANO Alessio TI - Beyond the gunboats: rethinking naval diplomacy and humanitarian assistance disaster relief in East Asia PY - 2015/// KW - EAST ASIA KW - JAPAN KW - NAVAL KW - HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE KW - DISASTER RELIEF N2 - In East Asia, the coercive use of maritime capabilities has led some to argue that the return of gunboat diplomacy has become inevitable. The use of coercion and deterrence there are indeed undeniable. However, it is argued that there is more than gunboats to diplomacy in a self-aware maritime East Asia. Capable navies can offer a significant contribution when dealing with major natural disasters, and these deployments should be regarded as diplomatic missions aimed at building relations and enhancing regional security. Japan's experience in this regard provides a relevant case in support of this argument ER -