The Study Of Australia's Participation In APEC Mechanism-building

In the late 1980s,the GATT Negotiation which was the cornerstone of International multilateral trade system had difficulties in continuing its steps while European Single Market and North American Free Trade Area(NAFTA)seemed ready to come true.If the two groups gradually became inward as the negotiation reached an impasse,the positive international environment on which the development and prosperity of economies of East Asia extremely relied would be threatened.For Australia,it was even more important and urgent to keep a free and open East Asia which Australia was increasingly deepening its economic contact with through export trade that was a key instrument in its own policy toolbox.Then Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawk made up his mind to hold a ministerial meeting to set up APEC with the consideration of state interests after judiciously investigating other economies' attitude to multilateral trade system within the area.To this article,Australia focused on three main aspects when promoting the improvement of APEC mechanism----emphasizing the completeness of APEC's structural functions,improving the efficiency of APEC's decision-making process and broadening and deepening the scope and influence of APEC's action plan after reorganizing and analyzing the practice by Australia in building,developing and improving APEC mechanism since Canberra in 1989.The three augments constituted a continuum.Not only its own Economy Diplomacy was fitted perfectly with Australia's improvement of APEC mechanism-building process,but also the middle power diplomacy strategy that regarded APEC as a significant multilateral arena was advanced and strengthened during this proceeding.All in all,Australia maximized its state interests with the participation of APEC mechanism-building and alleviated its long confusion in “Who I am?” with the creation of new geographical----Asia-Pacific region.