Comunidad del pacífico en perspectiva - Volumen 2

AA AUSTRALIAN VlEW OF THE PACIFIC BASIN Institutional activities concerning the Pacific Basin by acade– mies are numerous. Again few look at the total Basin, although researro projects by suro bodies as the Australia-Japan Economic Relations organisation are beginning to do so. The Australian 50- ciety for Latín American Studies has attempted, by organising Trans-Pacific Seminars, oEten in consort with the Institute oE In– ternational Studies oE the Universiy of Chile, to discuss and pro– mote better interaction within the total Pacific Basin from histo– rical and cultural, as welI as economic, viewpoints. Business organisations are more frequently bilateral groups con– centrating on the opportunities and problems of trade between two countries. Australia, for example, has separate Business Co– operation Committees which involve Japan, China, Korea, the Phi– líppines and Indonesia. The main broady baséd regional economic organisation is the PACIFIC BASIN ECONOMIC COUNCIL (PBEC), which has been in exis– tence for more than a decade to promote discussion on regional trade and investment issues. It is an ínformal organisation of bus iness and professíonal leaders, representing major companies and business organisations in Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand. the United States, together with a Pacific Regional Committee consisting of representatives from the developing countries. These now indude the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong-Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Chile and Peru. PBEC'S goal is to contribute to the acceleration of economic and social progress through international co-operatíon. This collection of businessmen, bankers and industrialists meets annualIy with the common goal of strengthening the business en– terprise system, improving business environments, generating new business opportunities and relationships, and increasing internatio– nal trade and investment. The theme of the last meeting held in Los Angeles in May, was indeed "Pacific Business in the 1980's Trade and Investment". International trade is the life blood oE the Asian Pacific region and its succour is communication. There appears to be no reason why Latin America should not become more positively involved 85