ABSTRACT
US interests in the Pacific Basin are expanding rapidly. The Soviet Pacific fleet has undergone a major expansion and is the USSR's largest. The large quantitative buildup of the 1960s is currently being supplemented by major qualitative improvements. The real challenge facing the nations of Asia and the Pacific today is to continue the remarkable record of progress of the last decade. The Asia-Pacific region is so large in terms of geography and so diverse from the standpoint of culture, history, and economic development that until recently little has existed in the way of true common interests. Trade and investment is another area in which Asia-Pacific nations share important interests in common. The Pacific is today an area rich in innovation, where new ideas are constantly being assimilated and put to work.
