Asia Regional Integration Center

The paper aims to examine economic interdependence and balancing power politics, and their mixed implications for regional institution building in East Asia based on the concept of common security. By pointing out the gap between the violent conflict prediction and the stability and prosperity reality following the end of the Cold War, the paper gives analysis to the factors affecting the security relations in the region, including (i) the role of the US, (ii) the rise of the PRC, (iii) ASEAN‘s efforts at regional cooperation, the (iv) the PRC–Japan rivalry.  The author concludes that economic interdependence and regional cooperation in Asia have constrained a power struggle from spiraling out of control, while open regionalism has become a reasonable approach to regional institution building. Finally, the paper makes policy recommendations with respect to principles and steps in moving to a new regional security order.

Governments and monetary authorities in emerging East Asia need to cooperate more on exchange rates and other policies to turn the swift post-crisis recovery into more balanced, long- term growth. The report notes that the weaker outlook for the global economy coupled with the phasing out of fiscal and monetary stimulus within the region means economic growth should moderate next year following emerging Asia's robust recovery in 2010.  Read the news release and highlights. Download the report.

Mari Elka Pangestu, Minister of Trade, Indonesia, will talk about Asia's trade policy and its future challenges. See program. Confirm with Liza Cruz.

London School of Economics and Political Sciences' Simon Hix assesses the convergence of national preferences, establishment of equitable systems of representation, and institutional scenarios for Asian economic union.  Read more.

Why is Asia lagging behind other regions in creating regional judicial institutions? What lessons from elsewhere could be valuable to Asian regional economic integration? This paper shows that Asian states are not unusually averse to refer inter-state disputes to global judicial institutions. Moreover, Asian states are not unique in their reluctance to resolve regional inter-state disputes through judicial means. The most valuable lesson for Asia from experiences elsewhere is the role that regional courts can play in resolving disputes between administrative agencies and private parties about the implementation of international law. Read more.

In this paper, Yin Hua Mai, Phillip Adams, Peter Dixon and Jayant Menon examine the impact that an awakening People’s Republic of China (PRC) is likely to have on the growth and terms of trade of its neighbours. Using a multi-country model, they find that PRC’s technological convergence raises the world prices for mining products and lowers those for manufactures. Overall, the effects are relatively small, however. Therefore, although an awakening PRC will have a positive impact on the region, it is unlikely to make a dramatic entrance. Read more.

Regionalism and regional integration in East Asia have developed dynamically at various levels over the past two decades. This paper by Christopher M. Dent examines the development of new regional institutions involving the whole East Asia region. Read more.

Regional institutions fail to tap the information and knowledge resources of civil society organizations to enhance the quality of regional institutional governance, defined as the effectiveness of governance institutions as well as their accountability to stakeholders. This paper by Helen E.S. Nesadurai suggests three strategies to overcome this deficit. Read more.