Established in 1989 as an informal group in response to the growing interdependence among Asia-Pacific economies, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) has since grown into a most significant vehicle for promoting trade, investment and economic cooperation in the region. This book, which is co-published with the Philippine APEC Study Center Network (PASCN) and the Yuchengco Institute for East Asia of the De La Salle University, centers on the concept of "coalition-building" as an instrument for the growth of APEC as an organization. It proposes that APEC be strengthened and transformed in order to meet its objectives and remain as an important instruments for economic cooperation and consolidation in the future. The five studies presented in this book recognize that the strength of APEC as an organization lies in its cohesive stance regarding trade and investments.