The Asia-Pacific Security Lexicon

"... this book makes very interesting reading and includes a number of useful references to otherwise unpublished sources. It is well produced and each entry has its own bibliography" (Taipei Journal).

"While the multilateral security dialogue that developed in the Asia-Pacific during the 1990s appears weaker now, it remains as a significant feature of international politics in the region. This lexicon is of particular relevance to participants in and students of that dialogue. However, it can also be recommended as a reference work for people who have an interest in international politics in the Asia-Pacific at a more general level" (Australian Journal of International Affairs).

"This book is a must for specialists interested in the inter-state relations of the Asia-Pacific region. A student equipped with it will be saved much reading. It will also be of value to hapless practitioners tasked with deciphering reports from regional security dialogue meetings" (New Zealand International Review).

"This volume is even more timely now than when it first appeared in another form in 1998. It will prove a boon to students and scholars alike, especially anyone interested in diplomacy and comparative regionalism .... one hopes that the presence of this volume on student reading lists will continue for many years to come and in many subsequent editions as regional diplomacy evolves" (Etudes Internationales).

In the turbulent decade since the ending of the Cold War in Europe, a new element of the international relations of Asia and the Pacific has been the emergence of multilateral security dialogues. Both in governmental arenas such as the ASEAN Regional Forum and numerous "track two" channels including the Council for Security Co-operation in Asia-Pacific, it has been a decade of creative interaction and new thinking. The Asia-Pacific Security Lexicon identifies the key phrases and ideas that have been the foundation of these dialogues, looking at their origins in international diplomacy and tracing their specific adaptation and modification to the conditions of a trans-Pacific setting. Of interest to both theoreticians and practitioners, the Lexicon is at once a handbook for regional diplomacy and an assessment of the factors that have shaped regional discussions.