In 1979, Dr. Han Lih-wu of the Republic of China proposed the idea of an international private study of the security of our sea lanes of communication (SLOC) by selected members of the U.S., Japan, the Republic of China on Taiwan (ROC) and the Republic of Korea (ROK). Since then, there have been six of these international conferences held chronologically in San Francisco, Tokyo, Singapore, Taipei, Seoul and Melbourne. This book offers a selection of papers from these six conferences by experts and scholars alike. Includes discussion on the capabilities of nations in the Pacific Rim for maintaining and defending the essential sea lanes of communications under conditions of both peace and war. Contents: Seabourne Trade in the Western Pacific; The Military Threat to Sea Lane Security; Military Capabilities for SLOC Defense; Responding to the Threat; and A Practical Program for Change.