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.

Southeast Asian Affairs 2012 provides an informed and readable analysis of the events and developments in the region in 2011. In the regional section of this volume, the first six articles provide the political and economic overview of Southeast Asia and the region. Eleven country reviews as well as six special theme articles follow, delving into domestic political, economic, security, and social developments during 2011 and their implications for countries in the region and beyond.