The U.S.-led rules based international order has been at the forefront of U.S. defense strategy since the end of WWII. However, the environment that enabled the growth and establishment of the order as a central strategic mechanism during the Cold War and following the Soviet Union’s collapse does not exist in present day East Asia. WAR ROOM welcomes Jarrod Knapp as he examines the ideological differences, the pressure of China’s regional hegemonic rise, and a historical reluctance to form alliances among East Asian states that limit the order’s efficacy.