Multilateralising regionalism: what role for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement?

Abstract

The Asia-Pacific region is home to a large and rapidly growing number of preferential trade agreements (PTAs). These agreements differ widely in design, scope and purpose. The “noodle bowl” that has resulted runs the risk of distorting investment and trade. Neither global institutions (the WTO) nor regional institutions such as the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) grouping have successfully addressed these issues. Amidst this increasingly messy situation, the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement stands out for a range of important economic and political reasons, not least of which is its potential to take existing PTAs in the Asia-Pacific region in a new direction. The aim of the TPP negotiators is to produce a comprehensive, high quality, multi-party agreement to tame the tangle of PTAs and be a potential stepping stone to achieving the goal of liberalizing regional trade on a non-discriminatory basis. The economic gains from removing border barriers among the countries involved in the initial TPP negotiations are likely to be limited, however, given the small size of many of the economies and the existing PTAs among them. To date, the US has been unwilling to offer a single set of arrangements for all TPP partners, preferring to build on existing bilateral agreements. Pessimism about the immediate results from the TPP should be tempered, however, by considerations of the dynamics that it might set in train; on the other hand, it has the potential to divide the region and exacerbate China's concerns about “containment”.     

Towards a ‘New English Regionalism’ in the North? The Case of Yorkshire First

Traditionally, the debate over English devolution has been framed by mainstream parties, favouring a top‐down approach. However, this scenario has recently started to change, particularly in the areas with stronger regional identities such as the North of England. In 2014, the first regionalist party (Yorkshire First) was created, followed by the North East Party and the Northern Party. Such actors overtly challenge the narratives of regionalisation that have prevailed so far, and endorse bottom‐up regionalism. This article offers the first analysis of these ‘new regional voices’ in the North, and seeks to assess emerging tensions between regionalisation and regionalism in the devolution debate. To achieve this, it concentrates on the case of Yorkshire First, drawing on documentary analysis and the results of a membership survey. It will be argued that, although still limited in its impact, the rise of Yorkshire First signals the presence of a political vacuum in the region which has been left open by mainstream politics, and that regional identity and territorial cleavages do matter in the current debate on devolution in the North of England.     

Critical junctures and institution-building: regional cooperation on free trade and food security in East Asia

This study examines conditions under which states in East Asia engage in the development of regional institutions. It assumes that crucial external events and shocks, which produce specific historical breakpoints – critical junctures – constitute a significant breakpoint at which the regional states willingly elevated a path to develop regional institutions to a new level. The analysis of the development of regional institutions for a free trade area and food stock for emergency revealed that regional states in East Asia changed their views on the evolving reality created by external shocks and such changes led to the creation of new regional institutions.     

Explaining the failure of the ASEAN economic community: the primacy of domestic political economy

All reliable indicators suggest that ASEAN's (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Economic Community (AEC) will not be successfully established by its 2015 deadline. Why? Against technocratic, realist and constructivist accounts, this article offers an explanation rooted in the political economy of ASEAN's member-states. Economic liberalisation agreements promote the rescaling of economic governance, involving regulatory changes that may radically redistribute power and resources. Consequently, they are heavily contested between coalitions of social and political forces, without outcomes reflecting the outcome of these struggles. The argument is demonstrated by exploring the uneven sectoral liberalisation achieved under the AEC, the constrained integration of ASEAN's energy markets, and the limited deregulation of skilled labour migration.     

东南亚区域间主义的历史考察

从历史角度考察,东南亚区域间主义早于东南亚区域主义,其发展进程中存在着双区域间主义、跨区域主义和半区域间主义3种基本类型。就东南亚本地行为体在其中的地位和作用看,它经历了从冷战时期“追随”为主、“弱主导”和“弱参与”为辅,到后冷战时期“强主导”为主、“强参与”为辅的重大变化,由此实现了从“依赖”到“自主”乃至“中心”的根本性转变。这一历史演变进程表明,东南亚区域间主义与区域主义是紧密联动的,由此形成可以产生某种结果的互动关系和催生共同制度和集体认同的建构关系。     

冷战时期东南亚地区安全复合体:产生、演进与建构

研究东南亚地区安全复合体的产生、发展的演进历程,是我们把握冷战时期东南亚地区安全格局演变的关键主线,也是了解同期地区主义与区域安全之间互动关系的重要途径。安全复合体的出现为开展地区安全合作创造了条件,也是安全区域主义发展的起点。冷战时期东南亚地区安全复合体在构建过程中遵循了安全连续统一体的演进规律,地区安全结构经历了从冲突竞争为基调到对话合作为主旋律的显著变化。东盟国家一方面借此调解和缓和地区国家间的矛盾冲突,达到团结和整合地区安全力量的目的;另一方面试图通过推动"地区中立化"的安全机制,实现冷战两极体系下东南亚地区安全格局的平衡和稳定。从寻求"共同安全"到地区"合作安全"的最终建构,东盟把一个分裂对抗的东南亚逐步发展过渡成为一个团结互助、相互依存,愿意为了地区和平、稳定和发展而共同奋斗的发展中国家地区主义合作典范。同时,冷战时期培育"合作型"安全复合体的实践培养了东盟国家间的政治安全互信,增强了对地区的认同,这为冷战后东盟地区安全结构向更高一级的"安全共同体"升级打下了坚实的基础。