By the end of this century, the world’s economic centre will have moved from the mid-Atlantic to the mid-Pacific as a result of that area’s unmatched growth since 1960 and its increasing share of international trade. Paralleling the current trend toward regionalism in Europe and North America, politicians as well as private citizens in the Asia-Pacific region have been instrumental in establishing a number of non-governmental associations for the purpose of promoting greater diplomatic and economic co-operation within that region. Asia-Pacific Diplomacy provides an in-depth examination of three of these INGOs (International Nongovernmental Organizations) - the scholarly Pacific Trade and Development Conference (PAFTAD 1968), the business-oriented Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC 1968), and the multipartite (academic, business, and government) Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC 1980). Lawrence Woods traces their history and analyzes their effectiveness as channels for diplomacy, demonstrating how they have become increasingly important for decision making in government as well as in the private sector in the countries bordering on the Pacific Rim. This book aims to make an important contribution to the study of international political and economic institutions. It defines and clarifies the functions of a type of organization which has been poorly understood till now and it provides valuable information on this unique form of political and economic co-operation.