As the Indian Ocean region prepared to usher in a new year, the old dealt it a final blow in the form of the killer waves that snuffed out 200,000 lives. Yet, international politicking continued unabated. It is germane to see how the major players in the region responded and consider the implications, thereof.

The United States lost face by its initial lukewarm response given the magnitude of the disaster. The subsequent increase in aid figures and military assistance seems not to have shaken off the initial impression of having been less than ready to help. Coupled with its military engagements in two different theatres, and expanding budget deficit, it appears that the US is increasingly reluctant or unable to bear the weight of its position as global superpower. Of course, in real terms, the US has probably done the most and will continue to do so for some time to come, but the battle-weariness is evident. And despite President Bush's trenchant call in his second inaugural address for "the expansion of freedom in all the world", it seems that America is ready to turn inward than at any time since World War I.

So who takes up the slack? China comes to mind first. After SARS in 2003, the Chinese seem increasingly aware that disasters are for all to bear together and the massive amount of about $15million in aid, raised among private citizens, surprised all observers. This is indicative of two things - the increasing economic prosperity of ordinary Chinese, and the increasing ingress of the outside world into Chinese consciousness. In the 1990s, the latter was manifest in the negative incidents, whether anti-US or anti-Japanese. It served the government well too. But despite the low-key response to the death of Zhao Ziyang and the fading memory of Tiananmen, the Chinese government forgets at its own peril that not just the economy but its citizens too are being globalized.

The Chinese government's over $80 million in foreign aid was the largest in its history. As the People's Daily noted, "China now has a willingness and a capability to become involved" in peacekeeping and humanitarian relief operations. Indeed, it had personnel on the ground from Indonesia to Sri Lanka to Somalia. The problem lies in the fact that it denies Japan the right to exercise a similar "willingness" and "capability" . The People's Daily commented not very originally that "Japan's active relief operation is out of its own national interests" and attributed the sizeable Japanese effort to its being "fully aware of the Chinese influence in the current relief operation."

Japan was certainly the fastest off the block owing to its experience in dealing with such calamities as well as the large network its NGOs have built up in the region. But, the Japanese press did its own bit of crowing. As one (foreign) commentator wrote, "[f]or the first time in a long while, Tokyo appears to have bested Beijing in responding to regional needs and concerns," comparing China's aid donation to Japan's massive $500million, while government officials stressed Japanese leadership within the region.

India seems to have been in the news more for refusing aid than anything else. That may be a consequence of old colonial hangovers but India managed to acquit itself well under the circumstances. The question however is why with all its satellites and television coverage, India could not serve even a one-hour warning at least on its mainland.

ASEAN's continued dependence on the outside world was evident during the crisis. Indeed, there are many external actors too willing to reduce ASEAN to bit roles. For too long has ASEAN been only an economic grouping. If it has to retain any relevance, it will sooner or later have to address the weaknesses of political institutions and social structures within the region. Indonesia' s unwillingness to let disaster relief get in the way of its quelling the rebellion in Banda Aceh is a case in point.

The post-tsunami relief efforts thus highlighted some important trends in the region. The US will need to keep running just to stay ahead of the lesser powers. While China's disparaging of Japanese efforts showed up its own inadequacies in economic terms, its ambitions - evident in the reach of its operations, if not the scale - were not in doubt. Japan, meanwhile seems increasingly sure of itself in the international arena and ready to punch its weight. India, for once, benefited from the generally lower expectations from it and displayed capability to match the best in the region. In the end, some players were movers during the crisis, while others were shaken.