This book represents a valuable contribution to the study of Asia–Latin America relations from the unprecedented collaboration of leading Latin American specialists of China, Japan, and Korea, representing views from their respective countries. The academic literature on this topic remains quite limited in spite of rapid expansion of the interregional trade and investment and active engagements to institutionalize relationships in recent years. Especially, the views from Asian academic researchers have not been expressed often. This book reveals why the partnership between the two geographically distant regions has gained more importance recently. The authors also discuss some tensions arising from the intensifying relationship, including the concentration in a few commodities of Latin American exports and the competition of Latin American industry with Asian exports, as well as geopolitical problems.

Built upon the highly successful volume One Hundred Years of Korean-American Relations, 1882-1982, this book describes Korea's importance to the United States and the development of the current relationship. The ramifications of this relationship are evident by the facts that South Korea now constitutes America's seventh largest trading partner and 37,000 American troops remain stationed there on alert. North Korea, however, continues to harbor a deep resentment of the United States and its southern neighbor and maintains the fifth largest standing army in the world, situated just north of the world's most fortified demarcation line at the 38th parallel.