ABSTRACT
Arguably, APEC is more important to the foreign and trade policy of Australia than to that of any of its other member states. In foreign policy terms, APEC’s institutional confirmation of an ‘Asia-Pacific’ region resolves the ongoing uncertainty in Australia over whether its European cultural heritage creates enduring commitments to Europe and North America or whether its trade complementarities and geographic proximity make it a member of the Asian region. By including the United States and Northeast Asia, the APEC framework encompasses Australia’s main strategic ally and its major trading partners.
