Asia‐Pacific economic cooperation: Progress and prospects

Secretary of Foreign Affairs Domingo L. Siazon Jr. of the Philippines discusses the Asia‐Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum's path to the present, and charts a map for its future. Siazon sees the importance of promoting greater private‐sector involvement in APEC and enhancing economic cooperation among member economies. Siazon discusses the special significance of this year's meetings to be held at Subic Bay in the Philippines, the former home of the US Pacific Fleet and now a growing industrial and tourism center. Pursuing APEC's free‐trade goals, he says, holds the brightest economic future for the Philippines and the region.     

OECD and Asia in the globalizing world economy

In the globalizing world economy, the economic performance of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) economies is being increasingly shaped by dynamic and emerging economies in Asia and other areas. This fact makes it a priority for the OECD to chart a path for how countries—both OECD and non‐OECD—can best work together and meet the challenges of globalization, says Kumiharu Shigehara, deputy secretary‐general of the OECD. A primary key to that strategy is for the OECD to expand its dialogue and cooperation with economies from the Asian region, he argues.     

APEC,globalization, and 9/11

The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) has, in the main, been based on attempts to advance neoliberal ideas about economic governance, although this has stimulated a great deal of controversy and resistance. Having failed—despite much effort—to entrench neoliberalism within APEC the United States and other “Western” members of APEC are now “securitizing” economic policy in an effort to reconfigure the Asia Pacific along lines favored by major capitalist players in the region. Critics argue that this securitization of economics is simply a tactical effort to bring in through the back door policies that APEC members have resisted in the past. Faced with the prospect of not getting its own way through straight trade negotiations within APEC, Washington appears to be promoting measures — “urgently needed in the name of security”—that might never have been accepted otherwise. At the same time, a twin strategy of pursuing bilateral trade negotiations with key APEC states is threatening the multilateral nature of the body, further emasculating APEC's position as a serious trade body.     

An Asia‐Pacific community as a regional order: Possibilities and limitations of APEC

Expectations for the Asia‐Pacific Economic Cooperation forum have been numerous and varied, leading some observers to predict that APEC will gradually take on a security dimension in addition to the economic role it plays today. In this paper, Professor Susumu Yamakage of the University of Tokyo examines the evolution — and the limitations of — APEC and, taking into consideration the variety of issues and problems in the region, concludes that it is premature to expect APEC to become a multifaceted cooperative framework. Rather, he points out, it is likely to continue its current function of encouraging trade liberalization and defending the world trade system.     

21世纪的中国与俄罗斯:地区挑战与机遇—“瓦尔代”国际辩论俱乐部俄中分组讨论提纲

关于亚太地区当前格局问题,中俄双方学者均认为美国与欧洲先后陷入危机,未来5至8年将呈现收缩态势,在全球尤其是亚太地区的影响力全面衰落。俄方学者认为,在欧美因为经济危机陷入衰退的同时,以中国为代表的亚洲经济体却保持了蒸蒸日上的增长势头,国际经济中心已经向亚太地区转移,国际政治中心也将会向亚太地区转移。中方学者则认为,美国处于相对衰落的过程,而中国、俄罗斯、印度等新兴大国同时崛起,参与全球治理进程,国际权力出现扁平化,竞争的中心向亚太地区加速转移。在亚洲高速发展的现实情况下,美国主导的军事同盟体系已不适应亚洲经济一体化的进程。俄方认为,2011年,美国重返亚洲,利用中国与周边国家的领土争端,加强在本地区的军事同盟体系,大有围堵中国之势。俄罗斯融入亚太需要和平的地区形势,建议在中、俄、美之间建立三边安全机制,为本地区中小国家提供安全保障。中方认为,在新的地区形势下,应当建立与之相适应的地区政治、经济、安全秩序,欢迎并愿意协助俄罗斯在亚洲发挥积极的、建设性的作用。但是新的地区秩序应当是开放性的、包容性的,与亚洲国家多样性相适应的。在积极推动地区经济发展的基础上,逐步推进政治、安全议程。俄方学者认为,欧洲深陷金融危机,短期内不能解决,俄罗斯经济发展重心将向亚太地区转移,着力开发远东和西伯利亚地区,欢迎美国、欧洲、中国等世界各国和地区参与。中方认为,远东西伯利亚地区蕴藏着丰富的资源,并且与中国经济互补性较高,在两国政府的主导下,已经进行了一些合作。随着俄罗斯"东进"战略的逐步明确,双方可以在项目开发、投资等方面进行研究,发挥双方比较优势,深入合作。在中亚地区,美国撤出后的阿富汗将成为本地区新的安全威胁,加上原有的三股势力,中亚地区的安全形势令人担忧。俄方认为,应当发挥上海合作组织安全合作的优势,密切关注阿富汗形势,加强与印度等周边国家的合作。中方学者认为,应当发挥上合组织在安全方面的积极作用,但是解决中亚问题的根本,还在于通过经济合作使中亚国家走出贫困,从而实现长治久安。因此,应当积极推动上合组织框架下的经济合作进程,与欧亚联盟等本地区其他组织加强沟通与合作。     

Apec beyond Osaka: A balanced approach

Good ideas for economic cooperation within APEC must be adapted to Asia‐Pacific realities, says Andrew Elek, Senior Fellow at Australian National University's Australia‐Japan Research Centre. Emphasizing that “APEC will not make decisions, Asia‐Pacific governments will make decisions,” Elek asserts that APEC can draw on EU experience, while avoiding the creation of a regional bureaucracy, through a voluntary but orderly process of concerted, unilateral decision‐making. At Bogor, APEC governments agreed to reduce obstacles to economic development and integration within the region, without discriminating against the rest of the world. Elek notes that the November 1995 high‐level APEC meeting in Osaka provides the opportunity to clarify the historical Bogor vision. In this article, he proposes concrete measures for realizing APEC's potential as an open economic association.     

A new phase in Japanese economic cooperation

The merging of the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF) and the ExportImport Bank of Japan to form the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) signals a new phase in Japanese economic cooperation. In this article, Akira Nishigaki, former president of the OECF , describes the role and significance of Japan's official development assistance and considers recent policy trends and issues. It is essential for the peace and prosperity of Japan and of the world as a whole, he says, that Japan maintain favorable relations of interdependence in the international community. In this spirit, he expresses his hope that in funding and implementing assistance the JBIC will continue to strengthen Japan's considerable contribution to the development of developing countries.     

韩中关系与东北亚国际合作体制

东北亚国际合作机制的提出始于20世纪80年代,此后这一议题进入具体讨论的阶段。由于地缘冲突、安全困境等多种原因,目前东北亚地区还难以推行以国际机制或国家理性选择为基础的国际合作机制。从政治外交、经济、人文等合作机制的发展状况来看,目前韩中关系正朝着更高的合作方向发展,这可以说是东北亚国际合作机制建设的重要基础和参照。不过,这其中的一些困扰因素仍然不可小觑。本文主要从经济、政治外交、社会文化三个方面讨论韩中关系的发展,由此分析韩中关系对构建东北亚国际合作机制的重要意义,探讨韩中两国尚未解决或难以妥协的矛盾分歧对东北亚国际合作机制的构建及其发展的重要影响。     

Gaining Greater Access to Western European Decision‐Makers: a Motive for Australian Membership of the OECD

In weighing Britain's decision to seek membership of the European Economic Community Australian scholars have focussed attention on its adverse impact on Anglo‐Australian and EU‐Australian relations, and the emphasis that Australia thereafter placed upon economic relations with Asia. This article identifies a consequence of Britain's decision which has largely escaped attention: the part it played in stimulating Australia's successful 1969 application for membership of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Although Australia's interest in the increased access to West European decision‐makers that the OECD would provide dates to the latter 1940s and 1950s, the British application for membership of the EEC added particular weight to those arguing that Australia should seek OECD membership. It led to an extension of Australian activities in Western Europe which was not extinguished by the growing emphasis on relations with the Asian region.     

Latin America in a time of global financial turmoil∗

Following the financial turmoil in Asia and Russia, Latin America has suffered dramatic setbacks, including major economic slowdown, threats to democratization, and worsening social conditions. For the medium term, neither prosperity nor political stability are assured, says Abraham F. Lowenthal, founding president of the Pacific Council on International Policy at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Lowenthal identifies three positive shifts that have occurred in the region over the past few years: a convergence among economic policymakers on the main tenets of sound policy; an even more widespread embrace of constitutional democracy as an ideal; and a growing disposition on the part of Latin American nations toward pragmatic cooperation with each other and with the industrialized countries, including the United States.     

泛北部湾区域经济合作的难点与突破

泛北部湾合作是在中国-东盟10+1框架下的一个海上次区域经济合作,与陆上的大湄公河次区域合作一起,构成了中国-东盟的全方位区域经济合作新格局。泛北优势在海,范围广,潜力大,但困难和挑战也大。合作的突破在项目。南宁-新加坡走廊、中国投资参与东盟东部增长区发展、北部湾经济圈等项目的推进将惠及所有泛北成员。广西北部湾经济区要主动和率先崛起,成为泛北部湾次区域的经济合作核心区。全球金融危机背景下,中国提出建立100亿美元的中国—东盟合作基金,为泛北合作提供了历史性机遇。     

Hopeful uncertainty: Asia‐Pacific security in transition

Matake Kamiya chides Western security experts for taking an overly pessimistic view of the security environment in the Asia‐Pacific region. While admitting that there are many potential trouble spots, Kamiya asserts there are also many positive factors that point to peace, including the growing economic strength of, and cooperation between, countries in the region. The original version of this paper was prepared while Kamiya served as a distinguished research fellow at the Centre for Strategic Studies, New Zealand, from August 1994 to March 1995. Kamiya is associate professor of international relations at Japan's National Defense Academy.     

South Korea-China economic relations: Trends and prospects

Since the establishment of official diplomatic ties in 1992, bilateral economic relations between Korea and China have rapidly improved. The economic dynamism in China is expected to continue in the future. As continued economic development of China gains momentum, the economic relationship between the two countries will further be strengthened. However, future bilateral economic cooperation will take a path that differs significantly from the past. Both the quantity and quality of economic relations will increase and improve. In particular, Korea’s investment in China, which tends to be concentrated in the manufacturing sector, will broaden out to nonmanufacturing sectors, with the strategic motive of gaining access to China’s huge domestic market. His publications includeNortheast Asian Economic Cooperation: Perspectives and Challenges (KIEP, 1991).     

“欧元乐园”的迷失与重建——兼论对东亚区域货币合作的启示

希腊主权债务危机引发的欧元危机是对欧洲区域经济与货币一体化的一次重大考验,深刻反映了欧洲经货联盟成立以来所出现的两大问题:成员国之间经济的不平衡发展以及联盟合作机制的缺陷。欧元危机给东亚区域货币与金融合作的启示是,在以欧盟货币合作为样板的同时,应着重加强区域内信息共享与政策合作,以清迈倡议(CMI)和清迈倡议多边机制(CMIM)为基础加快东亚货币合作机制建设,完善区域监管体系;同时加强区域内各国汇率合作和资本账户自由化,稳步推进区域金融市场一体化进程,逐步缩小各国之间汇率波动的幅度,以此推进东亚区域经济合作向纵深发展。     

东盟在美国亚太战略中的地位及布什政府的东盟政策

在美国的对外战略中,东南亚是放在东亚的整体范围内进行考虑的,美国的东南亚政策是美国亚太战略的一个组成部分。本文从经济、政治、安全和区域合作四方面分析了东盟在美国亚太战略中的地位和作用,并介绍了布什政府上台后特别是“9·11”事件后美国东盟政策的变化。     

Japan's role in overcoming the Indonesian economic crisis

The prospects for economic recovery in Indonesia depend partly on economic improvement in the other countries of the Asia‐Pacific region, says Sujatmiko, Counsellor of the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo. If Japan were successful in generating a strong domestic economic recovery, that would in turn help Asia's recovery. The Japanese government's quick and positive response to the financial crisis in Indonesia has been greatly appreciated, although not without its problems. Notably, other major powers have wanted to play a significant role in saving Asia, and some regional rivalry has surfaced. For Japan, Sujatmiko says, the biggest obstacle against taking a leading role has been its closest ally, the United States.     

"走出去"--到缅甸做生意

1988年9月缅甸政府全面对外开放,使缅甸与周边国家的经贸关系得到全面发展.1997年东南亚金融危机爆发后,东盟国家对缅甸的影响有所减弱.中国加入WTO特别是江泽民主席访问缅甸后,更有利于中国企业到缅甸去投资.2002年9月8日-11日,国家外经贸部举办第六届中国投资贸易洽谈会,其间举行了"走出去"研讨会,缅甸是唯一被列入讨论的东南亚国家.这说明国家外经贸部对缅甸市场的重视.     

能力分配、制度共容性和战略关注度:冷战后亚太多边经贸合作制度构建的成败分析

冷战结束后,亚太地区以经济合作制度为主的各类制度建设迅速发展,并嵌入到地区秩序中,这些制度的发展经历了不同的历程,产生了不同的结果。从制度变迁理论的视角来看,地区制度的发展历程可以分为制度需求、制度构建和制度的维持与深化三个阶段,不同因素在各阶段发挥的作用不同。具体而言,在亚太地区,能力分配、制度共容性和霸权国对地区的战略关注度这三个变量对于地区经贸合作制度构建的成败起到了决定性的影响。文章将后冷战时期的亚太制度变迁分为四个时期,通过考察各个时期内最具代表性的制度来检验上述理论假设。文章认为,当地区内大国力量对比悬殊时,只有同时具备较高的霸权国战略关注度和较强的制度共容性时,地区合作制度的构建才能成功;当地区内力量对比接近时,地区合作的路径会趋于多元化,具备较高的霸权国战略关注度或具有较高共容性的地区合作制度的构建都可以获得成功。因此对于中国而言,在霸权国对地区合作的战略关注度下降和大国力量对比接近时,要推动当前地区经济合作,需要保持战略定力,更多着眼于地区合作中的互利共赢。     

Russia and the United States: Still cold in Northeast Asia?

The US has been reluctant to acknowledge Russia's relevance to the Asia‐Pacific, the author says, because “too little time has passed since the interests of these two former adversaries collided in the region.” Russia has the longest Pacific coastline and borders with China, Japan, Korea and Mongolia. Despite the end of the Cold War, however, Russia is still not an integrated participant in Northeast Asian economic cooperation. Vladimir Ivanov is a Visiting Fellow at the Economic Research Institute for Northeast Asia in Niigata. He argues that Russia has made a clear choice between “guns and growth,” and that the country should be allowed to come in from the cold and join this region's development.     

The world economic pattern in the 1990s and Asia-Pacific economic cooperation

The world economic pattern of the 1990s will have many characteristics. For example: 1) the world economy will tend to move further toward multipolarization and several fairly large regional economic blocs will be formed with these polars as their center; 2) the United States, Japan, and Europe will play a dominant role in the new world economic pattern; and 3) the Asia-Pacific economies will be the most vigorous part of the world economy. Since the 1980s, with the development of the internationalization of the world economy and regional integration, Asia-Pacific economic cooperation has entered into a new period. However, it is very difficult to form a close entity of economic cooperation (such as the EC) including the whole Asia-Pacific region. Perhaps it is more practical to found a subregional economic cooperative body, such as a “Northeast Asian economic sphere,” in the near future. This article was originally prepared for a roundtable conference on “Economic Issues in the Northwest Pacific: Perspectives in a Dramatically Changing World,” held December 14–16, 1990, in Oiso, Japan. The cosponsors of the conference were Taisho Research Institute, the Japan Economic Foundation, and The American Council on Asian and Pacific Affairs.