[1] Some argue that the reason why the hub-and-spoke network remains viable today is because its focus moved from regional concerns to those of the global such as the War on Terror and issues dealing with weapons of mass destruction.
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.
Another reason for bilateral agreements in the region was to prevent the revival of Japanese aggression and Japan's economic recovery at the same time, in order for it to become a growth engine of the region by giving enough economic opportunity (a direct contrast to the Treaty of Versailles between the Allies of World War I and Germany, which forced Germany to compensate for the massive destruction it had caused, leading to its early failure.
This has been characterized as a challenge to the hub-and-spokes system led by the United States, as the nations in the region increased their interactions with China, making the bilateral alliances as a hedging option.
An asymmetric alliance is a contract in which the major power takes on the responsibility for a minor country's security by pledging to support it in the contingency of military conflict.
[7] The rationale for the spokes to entering this system can be explained as minor powers may seeking alliances in order to increase security from military aggression.
[8] 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 were increasingly facing calls to contribute more to their own defense.
Publicly referring to a "historic turning point" due to the rise of geopolitical tensions across multiple continents, Kishida has committed to a meaningful break with Japan's strictly pacifist post-war stance.