This book stems from a workshop on global-local relations in the Pacific and is part of a growing contribution by Australasian geographers to understanding global and local change.
There is not a single geography (or history) of Pacific Rim development but multiple geographies and histories. This study examines geographical changes in production, transport and telecommunications, public policy, labour markets, labour flows, and culture and community arising from the integration and globalisation of the Asia-Pacific economy. Contributions range from the rapid development of China’s Pearl River Delta, through the Asia-Pacific migrant experience, to detailed local case studies in the Philippines. They highlight the spread and diversity of geographical experience. The contributions go beyond economic considerations and encompass social, cultural and political processes. By linking advances in knowledge about the world scene with growing knowledge about local circumstances the authors reinterpret contemporary geographical developments. This examination of global-local relations provides a fresh perspective on contemporary changes in the Asia-Pacific economy by highlighting how local systems are, or may be, inserted into global networks and circuits.
