ABSTRACT
The political activities toward Asia launched by M. S. Gorbachev soon after coming to power were a characteristic mark of Soviet foreign policy during the period under consideration. This was expressed in diplomatic initiatives, programmatic statements and political action. Gorbachev's speech of July 28, 1986, in Vladivostok remains a yardstick and a basis for general treatment of policy toward Asia in relevant Soviet literature. Efforts at improving relations with China continued to be the focus of the Soviet Union's political activities toward Asia in 1987-1988 as well. Gorbachev was aware of the fact that barring a consensus with the influential regional power his policy toward Asia would be doomed to failure. The diverging statements by Soviet experts and politicians on their country's policy toward Asia give the impression that the Soviet Union is undecided in conceptual terms. Since late 1988 the Soviet Union has pursued a policy vis-a-vis Japan uncompromising on the essentials of the issues, yet flexible in style.
