Pacific Rim is a term widely used to describe countries that border the Pacific Ocean. It also describes countries of powerful economic and political influence that do not directly border the Pacific but have a profound effect on the affairs of the region. The countries of the Pacific Rim include Brunei, China, the Republic of Korea (South Korea), Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Russia is geographically a Pacific Rim country, but its traditional political and economic links have been with Europe. Other countries that border the Pacific are Australia, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Canada, the United States, and several of the nations of Central and South America.
Journalists in the United States first used the term Pacific Rim during the late 1980’s to symbolize informally the common political and economic interests of the countries fringing the Pacific Ocean. Economic and political alliances have been formed among the countries of the Pacific Rim. One of the best known of these alliances is Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). It was founded in 1989 at a meeting in Canberra, Australia. Its 21 members are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam. APEC’s aims are to encourage and maintain economic growth and development, and reduce barriers to trade and investment. Another alliance involving Pacific Rim countries is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It consists of ten Southeast Åsian nations and promotes political, economic, cultural, and social cooperation among its members.
In 2018, eleven Pacific Rim nations signed a trade pact called the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The member nations are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. In 2020, the members of ASEAN and five other Pacific Rim nations—Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand—signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement. The aims of the trade pact include encouraging business and reducing trade barriers among the nations.
See also Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC); Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).