Understanding Contemporary Asia Pacific provides a comprehensive introduction to one of the most complex and rapidly changing regions in the world today. This thoroughly revised new edition reflects more than a decade of major developments in the region (encompassing China, Japan, the Koreas, and all of the ASEAN member states), including the impact of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. With accessible discussions of history, politics, economics, international relations, society, and culture, it provides the tools essential to understanding the dynamic Asia Pacific and its influence in the global arena.