LAS NUEVAS PRÁCTICAS DEL REGIONALISMO EN APEC: LECCIONES PARA AMÉRICA LATINA.

The article presents a paper on regionalism in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), presented in the meeting of the International Consortium of Centers of Studies APEC, Viña del Mar, Chile, on June 26-29, 2004. When the economic leaders of APEC were busy in meetings, the economic conditions of the Pacific region were quite optimal. The American economy was entering the phase of supported growth that should extend until 2001 and that would induce both the Canadian expansion and the Mexican recovery of the crisis of 1995. The consequences of the explosion of the "Japanese speculative bubble" seemed surmountable and the Japanese companies were continuing with their internationalization, reinforcing their presence in the Asian portion of the Pacific. They were imitating the Chinese the whole region was experiencing am economic regional boom. The economic reforms in the People's Republic of China and Vietnam started producing the first fruits, making possible the coinage of the term "socialistic economy of market " and the reincorporation of both countries to the world market.