Asia Regional Integration Center

Prof. Shang-Jin Wei, Columbia University, decomposes various country inputs into PRC’s exports. He finds a high-level of foreign content in exports suggesting, among others, that the trade surplus with the US might not be as large as normally expected. Please confirm participation with Michael Cokee at maacokee@adb.org.

Prof. Shang-jin Wei, Columbia University, sheds new light on the extraordinary high savings rate in PRC. He uses sex ratio imbalance to attribute the rise in the savings rate which contributes to the large current account surplus and fast-rising foreign exchange reserve. Please confirm participation with Michael Cokee at maacokee@adb.org.

Eisuke Sakakibara, Professor at Waseda University and more famously Mr. Yen, discusses the collapse of finance, its resultant world recession and impact on Asian economies. Please confirm participation with Liza Cruz at mlscruz@adb.org.

Hans-Joachim Voth, Professor at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, discusses the challenges of an Asian currency union from a historical perspective of the Asian silver standard in the early 20th century. Confirm with Liza Cruz at mlscruz@adb.org. Financial market responses to the crisis and future structural changes (19 May 2009, 2:00-3:00, Auditorium Zone A, ADB Headquarters)Ruben Lee, CEO of the Oxford Finance Group, will assess some issues in financial markets including regulatory and market responses to the crisis, stock exchange integration, and cross-border clearing and settlement. Confirm with Pia Perez. Noritaka Akamatsu, 5469

Exchange Rate Regimes and Monetary Cooperation in the Asia Pacific Region - Speaker Warwick McKibbin (21 May 2009, 10:30-12, Auditorium Zone D, ADB HQ) Please confirm participation with Liza Cruz at mlscruz@adb.org.

No. 28 - The Building Block versus Stumbling Block Debate of Regionalism: From the Perspective of Service Trade Liberalization in Asia Shintaro Hamanaka argues that regionalism is a building block, not a stumbling block to a multilateral trading system, using the case study of services liberalization of ASEAN. He also proposes an amendment of GATS to define the appropriate relationship between multilateralism and regionalism in the context of services.No. 29 - East Asian and European Economic Integration: A Comparative Analysis Giovanni Capannelli and Carlo Filippini compare the EU and East Asian economic integration processes and draw some reciprocal lessons. The EU stands out for its strong institutionalization, structural policies and the creation of the euro, while East Asia is an interesting example of production networks and financial cooperation.

Mitsuyo Ando, Professor at Keio University, discusses at the sectoral level whether preferential trade liberalization leads to multilateral trade liberalization. Confirm with Liza Cruz, 6938. 

At the regional meeting on Aid for Trade for Asia and the Pacific in Siem Reap, Cambodia (28-29 May 2009), President Kuroda and WTO Director General Lamy urged more Aid for Trade to help the region weather the current crisis and counter rising protectionism. Read the news release. President Kuroda's Speech.