ABSTRACT
Europe sees the Pacific Community concept as a Japanese and US initiative. The United States gains the most because it is active on both the Atlantic and Pacific. With or without an organizational structure, the Pacific Basin is becoming a new center of both the world economy and high technologies; Europe must understand the consequences of such a move. The Pacific economic community would represent an expectation of enlarged markets for the economies of Latin America. ASEAN, as an economic, political, and cultural organization, has set the pattern for greater economic cooperation in the Pacific. On the Latin America side, there are two examples of cooperation: one is the Central American Common Market, which is almost defunct, and the other is the Andean Pact, which most members are trying to revive. Neither has played the constructive role of ASEAN, but they can make possible the interaction of groups on both sides of the Pacific and offer their experience.
