Publication Type: Proceeding
Abstract: Regarding the impact of the late 1990s accession of the new members (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam) on Southeast Asian economic integration, the benefits of enlargement are clearly projected in terms of economics rather than politics. As a result of the expansion, a larger regional market, with a nearly additional 300 million people and increased investment, is expected to create a higher level of intra-trade for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The overall trend of intra-ASEAN trade has been increasing since the 1990s due to a potential of economic complementarities between old and new members. However, the lack of domestic infrastructure in the new members, the lack of domestic and transnational transportation within and between members, and lack of regional standardization obviously pose barriers to economic integration. In particular, the weak structure and institution of ASEAN regionalism itself may be one of the major obstacles to regional economic integration that creates ineffective integrative policies after the enlargement.

This paper will argue that even though the existing quantitative-empirical works project a trade creation and economic integration in Southeast Asian region after the enlargement, these works seem to be only a short-term result because of an ignorance of political consideration. The new ASEAN members are likely to prefer a weak and informal regional institution and to support the existing use of the �ASEAN Way� � non-interference policy � due to constraint of their domestic politics and international relations. Also, the weak and informal institution, as we know from the existing literature on ASEAN economic cooperation since the early 1980s, has negatively influenced economic cooperation and integration in the region. Therefore, regarding (1) the preference of the new members to a weak institution and (2) the negative effect of weak institution on economic integration, the impact of ASEAN enlargement could result in maintaining a weak ASEAN institution or even weakening the institution, which leads to an impediment of economic integration in terms of policy coordination. Thus, this paper will illustrate that it is significant to place an institutional factor in the analysis of the relationship between the impact of enlargement and economic integration. In other words, the relationship of enlargement and economic integration should be bridged by an institutional factor, � reflecting a political constraint in economic integration.

Enlargement issue in recent literature on Asian and ASEAN regionalism has focally conducted research in a historical-descriptive style, but lacked a systematic framework to look at the actual impact of enlargement on economic integration. My study proposes to conduct research emphasizing the deepening integration after ASEAN enlargement, and aims to examine two missing points in the literature. First, I will propose a systematic framework to study enlargement based on the institutionalism theory. Second, I will fill in the gap in Asian regionalism literature by investigating the relationships of the impact of enlargement, regional institution, and economic integration in the case of ASEAN.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The adoption of ASEAN Charter at the 13th ASEAN’s Summit in Singapore 2007 can be seen as an achievement for ASEAN and a significant milestone in the regional integration in Southeast Asia. The Charter provides a stronger legal and institutional basis for

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The adoption of the ASEAN Charter at the 13th ASEAN’s Summit can be seen as a significant milestone in the regional integration of Southeast Asia. The Charter provides a stronger legal and institutional basis for ASEAN in conducting its internal as well a

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (MITI) proposed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership of East Asia (CEPEA) in August of 2006. This new regional FTA concept would extend the original footprint of ASEAN 10 + 3 to include the additional three countries of India, Australia, and New Zealand. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe then managed to garner support in January 2007 at the East Asian Summit for establishing a feasibility study group for the proposed scheme. Ironically, Japan some years earlier had proposed an “East Asian Free Business Zone” including only ASEAN+3 countries without Australia, New Zealand and India. What might explain the policy change, and how did it come about? Scholars and policy analysts have looked to the economic consequences, political implications and wider international implications of the ASEAN+3 approach to East Asian integration. We look rather to the political and economic rationales behind the ASEAN+6 proposal. Political analysis includes international issues such as the impact of ‘the rise of China’ on Japan’s sudden interest in expanding the footprint of the East Asian Community. Nor can domestic factors be ignored, such as bureaucratic competition in trade policy initiatives. Economic analysis includes the possible impact of CEPEA not only on member countries but also on non-members such as the United States, and how this affects Japan’s internal debate over the CEPEA initiative. The paper concludes by returning to the initial approach to a regional FTA, comparing expected economic consequences of the ASEAN+3 and ASEAN+6 approaches to integration.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: A shift from active pursuit of multilateral security framework in East Asia to enhancement of the U.S.-Japan alliance has characterized Japanese security policy during the last decade. Despite this shift, Japan has continued to diversify its security partners in East Asia. This paper will describe a broad range of Japan’s security cooperation with ASEAN countries and analyze the drivers of such cooperation. In doing so, the paper intends to seek a nuanced and empirically grounded explanation of Japanese security policy.