ushered in three decades of unprecedented growth, only to experience an economic slowdown during the 1990s, but nonetheless Japan

continues to
remain a global economic power. East Asia would also see the economic rise of Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan, in addition to the respective
handovers of Hong Kong and Macau near the turn of the twentieth century. The onset of the 21st-century in East Asia led to the integration of Mainland
China into the global economy through its entry in the World Trade Organization while also enhancing its emerging international status as a potential
world power reinforced with its aim of restoring its historical established significance and enduring international prominence in the world economy.[2][82][83]
[84][85][86][87][88][89]
Despite the absence of armed conflicts in East Asia for decades, the stability of the region remains delicate due to the presence of North
Korea's nuclear program and Chinese geopolitical encroachment and provocations occurring in Taiwanese waters. These tensions have emerged from
the contentious relationship between Mainland China and Taiwan, as the former seeks to reunify with Mainland China while the latter strives to
maintain its sovereign independence and preserve the prevailing geopolitical order.

Definitions[edit]

Three sets of possible boundaries for the Central

Asia region that overlap with conceptions of East Asia
In common usage, the term "East Asia" typically refers to a region including Greater China, Japan, Korea and Mongolia.[83][90][91][92][93][94][95][96][97][98]

China, Japan, and Korea represent the three core countries and civilizations of traditional East Asia - as they once shared a common written language,
culture, as well as sharing Confucian philosophical tenets and the Confucian societal value system once instituted by Imperial China.[99][100][101][102][103] Other
usages define Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, North Korea, South Korea and Taiwan as countries that constitute East Asia based on their
geographic proximity as well as historical and modern cultural and economic ties, particularly with Japan and Korea having strong cultural influences
that originated from China.[99][103][104][105][106][107] Some scholars include Vietnam as part of East Asia as it has been considered part of the greater Chinese
sphere of influence. Though Confucianism continues to play an important role in Vietnamese culture, Chinese characters are no longer used in its
written language and many scholarly organizations classify Vietnam as a Southeast Asian country.[108][109][110] Mongolia is geographically north of Mainland
China yet Confucianism and the Chinese writing system and culture had limited impact on Mongolian society. Thus, Mongolia is sometimes grouped
with Central Asian countries such as Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.[108][109] Xinjiang (East Turkestan) and Tibet are sometimes seen as part
of Central Asia.[111][112][113]

Broader and looser definitions by international agencies and organisations such as the World Bank refer to East Asia as the "three major Northeast
Asian economies, i.e. Mainland China, Japan, and South Korea", as well as Mongolia, North Korea, the Russian Far East, and Siberia.[114] The Council
on Foreign Relations includes the Russia Far East, Mongolia, and Nepal.[115] The World Bank also acknowledges the roles of Chinese special
administrative regions Hong Kong and Macau, as well as Taiwan, a country with limited recognition. The Economic Research Institute for Northeast
Asia defines the region as "China, Japan, the Koreas, Nepal, Mongolia, and eastern regions of the Russian Federation".[116]
 The countries of East Asia also form the core of Northeast

Asia, which itself is a broader region. East Asia map of Köppen

climate classification The UN's Statistics

Division (UNSD) geoscheme for Asia works with subregions defined in terms of UN political
geography statistics. The UNSD geoscheme is based on statistic convenience rather than implying any
[117]

assumption regarding political or other affiliation of countries or territories:

[118]

North Asia

Central Asia

Western Asia

South Asia

East Asia

Southeast Asia
The UNSD definition of East Asia is based on statistical convenience,[118] but others commonly use the same definition of Mainland China, Hong Kong,
Macau, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan.[7][119]

Certain Japanese islands are associated with Oceania due to non-continental geology, distance from mainland Asia or biogeographical similarities
with Micronesia.[120][121] Some groups, such as the World Health Organization, categorize China, Japan and Korea with Australia and the rest of Oceania.
The World Health Organization label this region the "Western Pacific", with East Asia not being used in their concept of major world regions. Their
definition of this region further includes Mongolia and the adjacent area of Cambodia, as well as the countries of the South East Asia Archipelago
(excluding East Timor and Indonesia).[122]

Alternative definitions[edit]
In business and economics, "East Asia" is sometimes used to refer to the geographical area covering ten Southeast Asian countries
in ASEAN, Greater China, Japan and Korea. However, in this context, the term "Far East" is used by the Europeans to cover ASEAN countries and the
countries in East Asia. However, being a Eurocentric term, Far East describes the region's geographical position in relation to Europe rather than its
location within Asia. Alternatively, the term "Asia Pacific Region" is of