Why the post-Cold War procurement comparison needs care

Why were Asian navies better at procurement than European navies after the Cold War peace dividend?

The premise is too broad: not every Asian navy procured better, and many Asian states still faced concern about China even as Russia appeared less threatening to Europe.

Treating Asian navies as a uniformly successful procurement group makes the premise too broad. The Cold War in Asia involved both Soviet power and communist China. Russia appeared to recede as a threat to Europe during the 1990s, while China remained a regional concern. Asian states reduced some acquisition, but that continuing pressure gave them less reason to stop procurement altogether.