The term OC economic globalizationOCO has been discussed extensively in the popular press, by business executives and by policy-makers all over the world. While academic economists have made some excellent contributions to specific, technical aspects of economic globalization, there appears to be a need for economists to discuss the broader aspects of the issue in a more accessible manner. Failing this, the general debate will be informed only by the writings of non-economists. That is the motivation for this book, which is a collection of essays on various aspects of economic globalization in general, but with specific reference to Asia. Contents: Economic Globalization: Finance, Trade and Taxation: Economic Globalization and Small and Open Economies: Finance, Trade and Taxation; International Monetary and Financial Issues in East Asia: International Capital Flows and Regional Contagion: Boom and Bust in East Asia in the 1990s; Liquidity-Enhancing Measures and Monetary Cooperation in East Asia: Rationale and Progress; Choosing the Right Exchange Rate Regime for Small and Open Economies in East Asia; International Trade Issues in Asia: The Nexus Between Trade Liberalization and Poverty in Asia; India''s Decade-Long Trade Reforms: How Does It Compare with Its East Asian Neighbours? (with Rahul Sen); Singapore''s Drive to Form Cross-Regional Trade Pacts: Rationale and Implications (with Rahul Sen); International Trade in Infrastructural Services in East Asia: Telecommunications and Finance; International Tax Issues in Asia: Economic Globalization and Taxation: With Particular Reference to Southeast Asia (with Mukul Asher). Readership: Policy-makers, businessmen, professionals and others with an interest in international economic affairs and international economic policy."

The term “economic globalization” has been discussed extensively in the popular press, by business executives and by policy-makers all over the world. While academic economists have made some excellent contributions to specific, technical aspects of economic globalization, there appears to be a need for economists to discuss the broader aspects of the issue in a more accessible manner. Failing this, the general debate will be informed only by the writings of non-economists.That is the motivation for this book, which is a collection of essays on various aspects of economic globalization in general, but with specific reference to Asia.

What is unique about this book? This book is intended for undergraduates, graduates and scientists in general. It introduces certain topics of natural products which are only taught in institutes of higher learning. Despite the fact that there exists a vast literature devoted principally or entirely to naturally occurring compounds, there are very few books or monographs of moderate length that provide an overall view of the field. There are many aspects of natural products that deserve a special emphasis that is unlikely to be encountered in a conventional course of organic chemistry. Among them are biosynthesis; metabolic transformations; and physiological and biological properties of some of the natural products. The field of the chemistry of natural products is so immense that it embraces an almost limitless scope of the compound types. This book contains specialized work that describes the chemistry of separate classes of compounds such as steroids, terpenes, alkaloids, sugars, carotenoids, fatty acids and so on. It also includes data on compounds isolated from various classes of organisms such as, lichens, bacteria, fungi are treated in special monographs. The topics in this book are unlikely to be found in general chemistry courses. The book covers the following topics of natural products: cannabinoids, toxic constituents from marine sources, natural sweeteners, generation of wines, biological markers, pheromones of insects and mammals, pest management and secondary natural chemicals formed by microorganisms. Among the authors of the reviews is Professor Raphael Mechoulam who received the Israel Prize for his work on active constituents (cannabinoids) of the Cannabis plant and Professor Douglas Kinghorn from University of Chicago who is the chief editor of "Journal of Natural Products."

The editor of this book is to be congratulated for providing us with the works of a group of authors who combine proficient technical skills with elegant and lucid writing capabilities. . . This book would make excellent recommended reading for both undergraduate and graduate classes in international trade and finance. Herb Thompson, Journal of Contemporary Asia This book is based on the premise that Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) in the Asia-Pacific significantly impact on the material progress of the peoples of this region. These impacts in terms of the benefits and costs associated with RTAs will vary greatly from country to country. The internationally acclaimed contributors examine the theoretical perspective of RTAs in relation to exchange rates, the role and goals of the WTO and agriculture. The tensions and trade frictions resulting from the formation of trade blocs and their conflicts with the roles and goals of the WTO are also examined in the book. Those economies that are considered the economic powerhouses of the region including China, Japan, South Korea, major ASEAN countries and Australia are discussed in depth. The findings of the book suggest that RTAs are becoming increasingly popular in the Asia-Pacific region. However the associated costs and benefits depend on a number of complex factors including exchange rates, negotiation skills, the sectors included or excluded from the RTA, and the level of economic development of the nations signing the RTAs. The book will be particularly useful to academics, researchers, consultants, students, policy makers (including trade negotiators), and practitioners involved in trade and development in the Asia-Pacific region.

With the rapid growth of China and India and the resurgence of Southeast Asia post-1997–8, emerging Asia has once again become one of the most dynamic regions in the world. This dynamism has in turn been fuelled largely by a carefully calibrated embracement of economic openness to international trade, investments and capital flows. While much has been written about international trade, there has been somewhat less work on the issue of capital flows, macroeconomic management and foreign direct investment (FDI) to and from the region, a gap that this book attempts to fill. The book is divided into two parts. The first part deals with selected issues pertaining to macroeconomic management in small and open economies, with particular focus on exchange rates. The second part of the book deals with the trends and determinants of FDI in emerging Asia, its importance as a source of finance, its impact on growth and development, and the nexus between FDI and foreign portfolio flows (FPI). Overall, the chapters in this book tackle important policy issues of contemporary relevance, but are informed by analytical frameworks, data and empirics. While each of the topic areas chosen in individual chapters is intentionally narrow, the book as a whole covers a number of areas and countries/regions within Asia (i.e. East, Southeast and South Asia). While the chapters have been written in a manner that can stand up to academic scrutiny, they are also meant to be accessible to policy makers, researchers and others who might be interested in FDI and related issues in Asia.

This volume examines foreign investment in developing countries both from a theoretical perspective and country specific perspective. It covers strategies to maximize the benefits that draw from the inward investment flow as well as examining foreign investment as a vehicle for international economic integration. The book focuses on foreign investment in the third and fourth largest economies of the world - the Peoples Republic of China and India - in addition to Indonesia, Malaysia and other countries.