ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book analyzes the present and future patterns of intra-Asian international relations. The post-Vietnam years for Asians and others have been a period of adjustment and uncertainty; they have also been a period of questioning and waiting. This does not excuse specialists on Asia from examining Asian international relations; it does make the work of the specialist exceedingly difficult. The contributors to the book have been drawn from among America's most eminent specialists in the field. They know the Asian actors and the region and are skilled analysts of international politics. One of the fundamental concerns of the contributors has been to examine how the Asian countries perceive their environment and how this perception has influenced their foreign policies and behavior patterns.
