The prospects and value of economic integration and regionalism in Asia are increasingly evident in what could turn out to be 'the Asian Century'. It is within this context that this important book explores the critical economic issues, security concerns and political themes pertinent to Asia in general, and to East Asia in particular. The book features contributions by both Asian and Western scholars who take an interdisciplinary approach encompassing economics, political science and culture. They address various issues including the application of European experiences to Asia, and blend regional country perspectives with broader external views from Russia and the US. In conclusion, the book suggests a tentative roadmap and future directions for an Asian community asserting the importance of cultural and value studies. This objective analysis of Asian regionalism explores perspectives from both within and outside the region. As such it will prove a fascinating read for academics and researchers, practitioners and policy-makers in a wide variety of fields, including Asian studies, economics, public policy, political economy, international relations and regional science.

The prospects and value of economic integration and regionalism in Asia are increasingly evident in what could turn out to be 'the Asian Century'. It is within this context that this important book explores the critical economic issues, security concerns and political themes pertinent to Asia in general, and to East Asia in particular.

This volume offers to compare and explain variances of regionalism in Asia by disclosing the distinctive features of regional arrangements and how they evolved during the 1990s and 2000s against the background of a changing global environment. Moreover, it takes up a genuinely ‘inter-Asian’ perspective. By analysing and comparing diverse manifestations of regional integration agreements across Asia and its different sub-regions, it sets out to track their common characteristics and sub-regional facets with respect to their establishment, design and consequences. In addition, political processes accompanying their negotiation and implementation are scrutinized. The analysis encompasses nine case studies written by renowned scholars who together as a group combine an extraordinary mixture of different disciplinary backgrounds as well as expertise on shapes and processes of regional integration in different parts of Asia. The case studies seize on some of the most important features and controversial issues characterizing the second regionalism. Such are the emergence and impact of overlapping FTAs, regional financial and sub-regional economic integration and cooperation, power and the politics of regional integration as well as the nexus between conflict resolution, state failure and regional integration.

This edited volume looks at regional integration processes in Asia. Whilst integration in the region, defined as Southeast and East Asia, is not a new process, it has gained momentum in recent years. Two developments have acted as catalysts for integration, first at the economic level the Asian crisis of 1997 has been the watershed for most countries in the region. Ever since, there have been continuing search processes for sovereignty-enhancing types of economic policies, and the region is one location where policy-makers look for new avenues to strengthen the position of their countries. The second major development is the continuing rise of China in the region. Today, China is not only the manufacturing powerhouse of the region, but it increasingly functions as a "benign hegemon" in Asia. Integration processes in Asia take place at several levels; in trade, finance and security affairs. This book analyses these dimensions of integration and sheds light on the prospects for successful integration. It investigates the puzzling, sometimes contracting trends of co-operation and integration in Asia. The contributors to this volume look at a theme that is of growing importance to the discipline of political science as much as it is relevant for policy makers. By combing the analysis of the three dimensions of integration, The Evolution of Regionalism in Asia enables readers to gain a broad understanding of the theory and practice of the integration processes.

Zahid Shahab Ahmed evaluates the progress of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). This study goes beyond economic integration to present a detailed appraisal of cooperation under the overarching themes of economic cooperation, environmental security, human welfare, and cooperation in security matters. According to the author, SAARC is making progress in addressing the myriad of issues on its agenda. The transition from agreements to actions and frequent interactions among the member states has boosted confidence. The progress of SAARC is more evident in the less controversial areas of human security, such as poverty alleviation, health and safety, human resources development, and higher education. Notwithstanding enthusiastic commitments reflected in agreements and action plans, there is a gulf between rhetoric and implementation most notably in sensitive areas relating to traditional security. In the light of the findings of this study, the author proposes that greater cooperation in common human security areas has a potential to pave the way for a cooperation on issues of a ’contentious’ nature, particularly terrorism.

Lucid and broad-ranging in its scope, this interdisciplinary volume sheds light on the relationship between national policies, regional integration patterns and the wider global setting. A vital and much-needed study.

South Asian leaders have made it a priority to tackle key regional issues such as poverty, environment degradation, trade and investment barriers and food insecurity, among others.