Asia Regional Integration Center

The monthly RCI Information Pack covers the latest on regional cooperation and integration (RCI) in Asia and the Pacific, including monetary, financial, and trade indicators that monitor links between the region's economies and external partners. The special feature discusses Asia's rising reliance on intraregional bank lending. 

The 2nd Asian Business Conference (ABC) will be held in Makati City 26-27 June against the backdrop of an emerging ASEAN Economic Community by 2015. Organized by the Asian Institute of Management, the ABC provides a venue for business leaders in the region to explore developments, opportunities, and issues of critical importance to business and the people of the region. Read more.

Demand for local bonds is still strong in face of rising risks and global weakness. The local currency bond markets in emerging East Asia grew by 5.5% y-o-y at the end of September to reach $5.5 trillion, driven by strong growth in corporate bonds. Yield curves in most LCY government bond markets flattened and shifted downwards as market and policy focus moved to support growth. In the recent AsianBondsOnline Bond Market Liquidity Survey for 2011 current concerns about global financial stability contributed to a modest widening of bid-ask spreads from the levels of last year's survey. Download report and press release.

In the November issue of the East Asian Bureau of Economic Research (EABER) and South Asian Bureau of Economic Research (SABER) newsletter, OREI’s lead economist Jayant Menon discusses the trade policy challenges faced by Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam (CLMV)—the newest members of ASEAN. The paper concludes that the multilateralised single-rate system is a better alternative to the multiple-rate system and thus suggests that CLMV countries should follow the original ASEAN members and multilateralize their CEPT tariff preferences. It encourages both old and new members to do the same, especially in the context of proliferating ASEAN+1 FTAs. Read more.

Vanessa Smith of the University of Cambridge’s Center for Financial Analysis and Policy will introduce the Global Vector Autoregression (GVAR) approach to macroeconomic modeling. This approach offers a general framework for the quantitative analysis of different shocks and transmission mechanism channels. It is often used as a tool for policy analysis and forecasting. Confirm attendance with Pia Tenchavez.

Our re-designed site is easier to navigate, with a new browsing system to let you get what you need quickly and efficiently. We created new pages for individual countries, RCI themes, publications, and projects. Send us your feedback at aric_info@adb.org.

Willem Thorbecke, Senior Fellow at the Research Institute of Economy, Trade, and Industry in Tokyo, Japan will speak on exchange rates and its implication on trade in East Asia. Confirm attendance with Liza Cruz.