ABSTRACT
Since Mikhail Gorbachev became general secretary of the Soviet Communist party in March 1985, the Soviet Union has greatly increased its efforts to improve relations with all the countries of East Asia-particularly China but also Japan and South Korea-and with Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. This chapter explores the sources of change in Soviet policy; the degree of continuity and change; the impact of changing Soviet policy on the nations of the region; and, finally, the implications of changing Soviet policy for the United States. Thus, the Chinese leadership may seek to increase trade and cultural exchanges with the Soviet Union and other socialist countries in order to compensate in part for these losses. The United States and the Soviet Union are making progress on a new START agreement and on conventional and chemical weapons agreements, and they are discussing a variety of other ways to improve their bilateral relations.
