Towards green energy cooperation in Northeast Asia: implications from European experiences

Faced with the dual challenge of depletion of fossil fuels and climate change, three Northeast Asian countries—China, Japan and Korea—introduced green energy initiatives in recent years. Even though the portion of renewable energy in the energy mix has been limited, a rapid shift to green initiatives has given a strong boost to renewable energy resources. Cooperation with respect to green energy in Northeast Asia (NEA) may eventually overcome the geopolitical constraints and zero-sum nature of the fossil fuel supply in the region. However, this cooperation also faces a number of obstacles to be overcome. Energy cooperation in NEA is still in an embryonic stage, and the level of institutionalisation is low. Green energy cooperation is not free from neo-mercantilist competition either, as the current green initiatives entail elements of strong industrial policy. European experience may shed light on the burgeoning green energy cooperation in NEA, in terms of methods and scope. The EU is currently adopting the most advanced policies on renewable energy and climate change. A series of green energy initiatives has provided a concrete platform for further green energy cooperation that could be pursued at the Union level. On the other hand, the history of European energy cooperation indicates that a long stage of market integration, institutional development and policy coordination are prerequisite. Northeast Asian green energy cooperation should be based on a continued momentum of green initiatives at the domestic level as well as the advancement of sub-regional institutional build-up. Regional multilateral institutions, such as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Association of Southeast Asian Nations Plus Three and ASEAN Regional Forum, as well as diverse international organisations and Track II institutions can provide a useful venue for Northeast Asian countries to share information and adopt a common position towards green energy cooperation.     

Lessons of the European crisis for regional monetary and financial integration in East Asia

The debt crisis in several member states of the euro area has raised doubts on the viability of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and the future of the euro. While the launch of the euro in 1999 stirred a lot of interests in regional monetary integration and even monetary unification in various parts of the world, including East Asia, the current crisis has had the opposite effect, even raising expectations of a break-up of the euro area. Indeed, the crisis has highlighted the problems and tensions that will inevitably arise within a monetary union when imbalances build up and become unsustainable. This article discusses the causes of the current European crisis and the challenges that EMU countries face in solving it. Based on this analysis, it derives five lessons for regional financial and monetary cooperation and integration in East Asia.     

日本与东北亚战区导弹防御

美日合作研究、开发和部署东北亚战区导弹防御系统(TMD)是冷战后美日安全合作的一项重要内容,也是日本安全政策调整的一个重大步骤。日本决定建立导弹防御系统是地区安全形势发展、美日同盟强化和日本安全政策变化等因素相互作用的结果,将不可避免地对东亚地区安全产生重大影响。     

东亚金融合作与制约因素

东亚地区的经济发展在世界经济中占有比较重要的位置,是世界上三大经济区之一,各种形式的经济合作也在不同的层面上不同程度地有所发展.在金融领域,东亚国家政府和学术界提出了各种合作倡议和构想,在有的方面取得了进展.但总的看,东亚地区货币、金融合作相对滞后,迄未形成较高层次的制度化合作安排.这对东亚国家规避金融风险、防止金融危机及东亚经济一体化的发展都不利.     

Recent developments on RTAs in North East Asia

This paper explores the recent developments for regional trade agreements (RTAs) in North East Asia since China’s accession to the WTO in 2001. After having successfully achieved high growth rates since it became a WTO member, China’s stance towards RTAs has become more positive. In particular, an RTA in North East Asia will be facilitated if China, Japan and Korea fully acknowledge the positive spillover effect from launching such an RTA. This paper further argues that all three nations have to endeavor to resolve the prolonged confrontation in their collective defense systems if they want to expedite any real progress towards a federal RTA in North East Asia.     

APEC and emerging regionalism in North East Asia

This paper explores what kind of regional trade agreement is most likely to emerge in Northeast Asia by tracing the trajectories of APEC. Taking into account the underlying potential of realizing cumulative causation effects between market expansion and technology cooperation among China, Japan and Korea, it reaches the tentative conclusion that a Northeast Asia Regional Trade Agreement (RTA) might take shape in the near future despite the prevalence of polarized versions in the cultural heritage and the international relations between these three countries.

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东亚区域合作中的美国因素

一、近年来,东亚区域合作发展迅速,引人瞩目。 以APT(东盟 中日韩)为核心,从次区域的ASEAN(东盟)、MRC(湄公河委员会),到跨区域的APEC(亚太经合组织)、ARF(东盟地区论坛)、ACD(亚洲合作对话)、ASEM(亚欧会议)、FELAC(东亚拉美论坛),各种区域合作组织如百花齐放,百舸争流。合作的领域从经济、科技到政治、安全,不断深入、扩展,取得了一系列具体的实际成果,如:推动区域内自由贸易、实行投资便利化措施、签署区域货币互换协定、打击跨国犯     

中日合作与东亚区域合作

东亚地区国际关系中地区结构的多层性、地区内国家之间的巨大差异性、地区国际格局不稳定和不确定性等特点．使得东亚区域合作呈现极大的复杂性。更新安全理念和建立战略互信、建立合作与开放的地区机制、实行平等合作的行为模式,应成为东亚区域合作的共识与规范。中日关系的发展,既受地区格局演变的影响,同时也反过来影响地区格局战略力量的对比变化。发展中日战略互惠关系,有助于推进东亚区域合作。     

文化认同与东亚区域合作

随着世界经济重心的东移,东亚区域合作已经成为当前国内外国际关系学界研究的重点与热点,东亚区域合作在不断向前发展的同时也面临困境,而东亚共同体建设应从经济贸易的东亚一文化东亚一安全与政治的东亚一社会和法律的东亚循序渐进,先易后难。因此,文化认同成为了除政治、经济、军事等角度之外理解和研究东亚区域合作的另一个视角。如何在文化认同的基础上推动东亚区域合作向纵深发展,是具有重要现实意义的课题。     

建立信任措施:欧洲经验及其对亚洲的启示

“建立信任措施”(CBMs)通常是一种涉及军事与安全领域的多边机制,它在上世纪70年代被广泛应用于欧洲安全合作进程中,并对欧洲各国建立相互信任、推动一体化发展起了积极作用。冷战结束后,随着国际格局变化和经济全球化的发展,CBMs受到国际社会广泛关注,并被赋予了新的内涵,它在本质上越来越与经济密切相关。目前,亚洲的多边主义进程处于初始阶段,在军事与政治领域创建CBMs的空间似乎很小,但在经济领域却具备了良好条件,能源合作应是一个突破口。经济领域信任措施的建立将对有关各方的安全关系产生积极影响。     

加快东亚区域经济合作的步伐

东亚区域经济合作一直进展缓慢。面对区域集团化不可阻挡的发展趋势 ,特别是在遭受了亚洲金融危机的沉重打击后 ,东亚各国都已深刻认识到加强区域经济合作的必要性。东盟自由贸易区等次区域性经济合作组织的建立 ,就充分表明了东亚国家要求进行区域合作的强烈愿望。     

东亚地区秩序的演变及其展望

当前的东亚地区秩序正处于形成过程之中。未来的东亚地区秩序将是地区权力分配、地区内的制度安排以及地区认同和共有观念三种因素综合作用的结果。本文对东亚地区秩序的演变进行回顾,并对其未来的趋势做初步的探讨。     

Wind energy development in East Asia and Europe

Over the last decade, wind energy has emerged as the most important non‐hydro renewables sector, contributing significantly to global efforts on developing low-carbon energy systems. In terms of grid electricity generation, its power output has increased almost 16-fold since 2000 and currently produces around 3 times that of solar photovoltaic, 4 times more than biomass and 20 times more than geothermal installations globally. Europe and East Asia have been at the forefront of wind energy development, together accounting for almost 70 % of total installed capacity and most of the world’s largest wind turbine producers. This paper begins by providing an overview of historic and recent developments in wind energy and then discusses key techno-innovation, production and internationalisation issues before looking at policy approaches taken by European and East Asian countries to renewable energy generally and wind energy more specifically. Finally, obstacles to the future development of the wind energy sector are discussed.     

朝鲜核问题与东北亚安全

自去年十月美国副国务卿凯利与朝鲜方面会谈后披露出朝鲜“承认”有用于发展核武器的“核计划”以来,朝核问题和朝美之间的紧张关系不断升级。今年4月的中朝美三方北京会谈,虽然使朝鲜核问题暂时避免了美伊战争后新的战争危机的出现,但并没有阻止美朝紧张关系的进一步恶化。双方在解决问题的前提条件和步骤上仍然是南辕北辙,相互之间强烈的对立情绪和极度的相互不信任,以及观念和利益上的冲突均使朝核问题和朝美关系复杂化。虽然谈判解决问题的大门依然敞开,但也存在局势恶化的可能。     

东亚区域经济合作和美洲自由贸易区的比较

20世纪90年代以来,区域经济合作已成为全球经济一体化的主要实现形式。东亚与美洲无疑是全球区域经济合作引人瞩目的两个地区。本文把东亚区域经济合作划分为六种类型和层次,重点对东亚和美洲地区在区域经济合作和创立自由贸易区过程中经济发展水平差异、政治利益冲突、一体化模式的异同和区域合作等几方面进行比较,从而为中国全面了解和参与东亚和美洲地区经济一体化进程提供有益的参考。