The Asia-Pacific region is rapidly emerging as the global economic and political powerhouse of the twenty-first century. Looking at both Southeast and East Asia, this richly illustrated volume stresses broad, cross-cutting themes of regional history, with an emphasis on the interactions between cultures and nations. In this updated fourth edition, Pacific Century provides a significantly revised introduction, which places the contemporary rise of China within the context of the political, cultural and economic evolution of the region since ancient times. The text then considers more recent developments in their historical context, balancing national and international factors underlying Asia-Pacific economic growth and political change.