Japan and the genesis of APEC: a preliminary study in the light of recently declassified documents

This paper aims to analyze Japan’s role in the making of APEC. Drawing on recently declassified documents of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the article will investigate the historical conditions that encouraged the establishment of an inclusive organization committed to enhancing economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific, focusing on Japan’s strategic choices. While the present regional scenario is in many respects different from the 1980s, the case-study proposed could contribute to throwing light on the dilemmas confronting Japanese diplomacy today. In particular, the debate on APEC membership, the evolution of a Japan-Australia partnership, and the development of Tokyo’s policies in support of trade liberalization and open regionalism in the 1980s provide precious insights to better assess Japan’s response to US-China tensions as well as Tokyo’s decisive contribution to multilateralism and trade liberalization in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific.