The Soviet Union and the Asia-Pacific Region: Views from the Region

(Hardback)

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Description

In examining the economic and social reforms of Gorbachev's Soviet Union, the contributors to this new study provide a broad portrait of the state of current soviet relations with the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, the prospects for change, and the perceived role of the Soviet Union in that change. Leading established scholars and specialists from the countries of the Asia-Pacific region study this new Soviet phenomenon and evince a mixture of enthusiasm and apprehension about Moscow's new policy overtures to the region. Mikhail Gorbachev's speech in the Soviet Far East city of Vladivostok on July 28, 1986, was widely read and commented upon throughout East and Southeast Asia, and raised many unanswered questions: How much has the Soviet Union really changed Will China, the principal target of Soviet overtures, respond positively and, if so, what will the implications be for the rest of the region What do these sweeping changes mean for the region in practical terms The Soviet Union and the Asia-Pacific Region considers these questions and offers insight and provocative commentary on the current attitudes of the many Asia-Pacific countries toward the Soviet Union.

Reviews

The editors from the East-West Center and the International Research and Exchanges board focus on Gorbachev's major Vladivostock address of 28 July 1986, in which he presented a comprehensive survey of Soviet foreign relations with the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. The 16 papers by scholars from Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, Australia, Japan, the US, Korea, China, the Philippines, and New Zealand survey the region's perceptions of the USSR and conclude that the Soviet Union seeks an expanded role there. They predict that a rift between the US and the countries of the Asia-Pacific region will be exploited by the Soviets. Yet, unless the US allows its foreign policy to be defeated by incidents such as that perpetrated by its own tuna industry (American Tunaboat Association) prior to March 1987, Soviet influence is unlikely to dislodge or to replace US influence. The chapters are well written, well focused, and concise. Excellent for undergraduates in Asian politics. Adequate notes, but appropriate maps for the region are not included.-Choice
"The editors from the East-West Center and the International Research and Exchanges board focus on Gorbachev's major Vladivostock address of 28 July 1986, in which he presented a comprehensive survey of Soviet foreign relations with the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. The 16 papers by scholars from Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, Australia, Japan, the US, Korea, China, the Philippines, and New Zealand survey the region's perceptions of the USSR and conclude that the Soviet Union seeks an expanded role there. They predict that a rift between the US and the countries of the Asia-Pacific region will be exploited by the Soviets. Yet, unless the US allows its foreign policy to be defeated by incidents such as that perpetrated by its own tuna industry (American Tunaboat Association) prior to March 1987, Soviet influence is unlikely to dislodge or to replace US influence. The chapters are well written, well focused, and concise. Excellent for undergraduates in Asian politics. Adequate notes, but appropriate maps for the region are not included."-Choice

Author Bio

PUSHPA THAMBIPILLAI is Research Fellow in International Relations at the Resource Systems Institute, East-West Center. Her interests include regional cooperation (ASEAN) and international relations in the Asia-Pacific region. She is the coeditor of Soviet Studies in the Asia-Pacific Region, 1986. DANIEL C. MATUSZEWSKI is Director of Soviet Programs at the International Research and Exchanges Board, Princeton, New Jersey. He received his Ph.D. in Russian and Turkic History from the University of Washington in 1972, and is the author of studies on modernization and nationality trends in inner Asia, as well as Soviet international affairs analysis and policy in Asia.