This study examines issues of trade and policy in developing Asian economies such as Sri Lanka, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.

Asia constitutes a large portion of the world's population and this new book provides a good selection of contributions that cover trade, equity and development in the continent. With contributions from such leading experts as Clem Tisdell, T.N. Srinivasan and Gustav Ranis, the book's chapters cover countries from Pakistan and India to Korea and Indonesia. This book should be required reading for those interested in the economic growth and development of Asian countries.

While the world's attention has been focused on the spectacular economic success of Japan and Korea, the less developed countries of Asia have often been neglected. Asian Development closes the gap. In nontechnical style and with minimal mathematics, it presents an in-depth perspective on the economic development of fourteen countries in East, Southeast, and South Asia. Asian Development is mainly a story of success. Though some problems remain, Asian countries have shown remarkable resilience in responding to sharp changes in the international economy--oil shocks, world recession and inflation, exchange-rate and interest-rate fluctuations, and rapid technological change. The authors conclude that their ability to adjust to changing external conditions is closely related to intelligent governmental policies. Looking back they comment: "In the past, growth of the United States and Japan pulled up the growth rates of the smaller economies in the region." Looking forward, they predict: "In the future, increasingly it will be the growth of the Asian developing countries that acts as a catalyst to growth in the more advanced economies."

This is Volume 1 of a 3-volume study, Asian Development Experience, which is expected to contribute to research as well as policy-making in Asia and elsewhere. An earlier version of this study was supported by the Japan-ASEAN Solidarity Fund. External Factors for Asian Development investigates the effects of Japan's foreign aid for development and trade and FDI on ASEAN economies from various perspectives, including historical implications of Japan's involvement, agricultural exports, the development pattern of the Southeast Asian countries, the formation of international production/distribution networks, poverty reduction, upgrading technology, and industrial agglomeration. The contributors analyze trade, FDI and foreign aid from the standpoint of policy coherence at the interface between development co-operation and many other policy areas: trade, agriculture, food safety, fisheries, intellectual property, the environment, international finance, tax policy, migration, and peace and security.

The Rise of Asia examines emerging trends and patterns of foreign trade and investment in Asia with a view to contributing to the policy debate on how development strategies should be adopted in response to challenges to economic globalization. The existing body of knowledge in this subject area has predominantly been shaped by the experiences of the newly industrialized countries (NICs) in East Asia. This volume is inspired by the conviction that generalization from the NIC experience is hazardous because the on-going process of economic globalization over the past two decades has dramatically transformed the international context of national development policy making. Moreover, as ‘embracing market’, albeit at varying degree and rapidly, has now become an Asia-wide phenomenon, it is vital to look at the issues from a broader relational perspective, paying attention to opportunities for intra-regional division of labour within the wider context of global economic integration. This book will be of interest to students and scholars with an interest in Asian studies, economics, political economy and globalization.

Experience suggests that trade liberalization has contributed substantially to the remarkable growth of industrialized countries. However, for various reasons many developing countries have not yet been able to integrate successfully into global markets and reap the growth-inducing and poverty-reducing benefits of trade. This book argues that while developing countries are heavily represented in the WTO - accounting for about four-fifths of its membership - there is still plenty of scope for the world trading system to work more effectively in their interests.

This book looks at the impact of OECD country policies on East Asia in trade, investment, agriculture, finance, aid, macroeconomic policies and regional co-operation. Further, it examines the interaction of OECD country policies and their coherence with each other.

This volume investigates the links between employment, trade and structural transformation. In the context of global rebalancing, accompanied by inevitable changes in trade patterns between Asia and the rest of the world, the volume’s chapters analyze the links between trade openness and trends in employment and its quality. Specifically, through Asian case studies (both analytical and econometric), the volume examines how trade and export-led growth models have led to specialization and evolving demands on various types of labor. The rapidly changing labor market contours in developing Asia during this era of globalization, along with the new context resulting from the recent global financial crisis and new insights from theoretical literature, have led to the need for such studies. This volume helps fill this gap in the literature.

A remarkable product of analytical formulation, data disaggregation and methodological rigour. Anthony P. D Costa, Pacific Affairs Cross-border investment is a key driver of the globalisation process and multinational enterprises a key driver of productivity growth. This new book offers a comprehensive and informed evaluation of the role of multinationals in the world s fastest growing region. The book will not only be of interest to researchers and students, but also to analysts in the policy making community. David Greenaway, University of Nottingham, UK This volume offers a wealth of information and insights into the roles of multinational enterprises in shaping recent economic developments in East and South Asia. These direct investments, which are now the dominant source of finance for the developing regions globally, are generally welcomed today, though this was untrue earlier. However, the cases in this volume draw out ways and contexts in which the greatest advantage may be sought from these capital inflows. Robert E.B. Lucas, Boston University, US Foreign direct investment by MNCs, once considered the bane of developing countries, is today a leading indicator of their relative success. The reality is more complicated, however, as this fresh assessment of the role of MNCs in Asia explains clearly and persuasively. This study is a major contribution to literature on the role of MNCs in developing countries, drawing heavily on the author s own original research on foreign direct investment in several Asian countries. What is the role of MNCs in developing countries and how has it changed over the past two decades? What are the cost and benefits to host developing countries of MNCs direct investment? What measures should developing countries take to attract MNCs? This book provides clear and convincing answers to these questions based on the kind of rigorous empirical analysis for which the author is renowned. James Riedel, The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, US This book takes a fresh look at unresolved issues associated with the role of multinational enterprises and foreign direct investment in economic development in light of the experiences of developing countries in Asia. Each chapter presents a self-contained treatment of a specific theme relating to the developmental implications of MNEs, encompassing the current state of the debate, and relevant theory and policy implications. The key aspects of MNE-development interface covered in the book include expansion of manufacturing exports, global integration through international fragmentation of production, research and development, productivity growth, susceptibility to and recovery from financial crises, macroeconomic adjustment and international competitiveness, and economic transition from plan to market. Multinational Enterprises in Asian Development will prove a valuable reference tool for academics, researchers and students focusing on trade, development and international business. Professional economists and policy makers wishing to broaden their understanding of the role of MNEs as an integral part of the international development policy will also find much to interest them in this book.

The global centre of gravity continues to shift to the Asia-Pacific, the most dynamic region in the world. These economies have generally grown faster for longer periods of time than any other major region in world history. Their embrace of globalization has been a central feature, and driver, of their dynamism. The management of Asia-Pacific economic integration and globalization is crucial not only for the countries themselves but also for the state of the global economy, including importantly latecomer developing economies who look to the region for analytical and development policy lessons. Twenty-eight leading international authorities in the field, drawn from nine countries, provide a comprehensive examination of the causes, consequences and challenges of globalization, in a volume that celebrates the distinguished career of Professor Prema-Chandra Athukorala. Among the major issues examined are the region’s distinctive approach to trade liberalization, the effects of economic growth on poverty reduction and the labour market, the special challenges of by-passed regions, the role of ideas in influencing policy making, the modalities of connecting to global production networks, and the importance of remittances in economic development. Several country case studies provide in-depth analyses of development processes and outcomes. These include episodes in economic development, the challenges faced by transition economies, the macroeconomics of adjusting to slower growth and rising debt in advanced economies, and the so-called middle-income trap phenomenon.