A Brookings Institution Press and Asian Development Bank Institute publication Persistently large external imbalances in the world economy contributed to the outbreak of the recent financial crisis. The current account imbalances were particularly severe among the economies that border on the Pacific—the United States ran large deficits, with offsetting surpluses in East Asia. The depth and breadth of the global recession also demonstrated the need for a coordination of national policies to achieve a sustained recovery. While the magnitude of global-trade disruption led to some reduction in the size of the imbalances, closer examination suggests that the progress may prove temporary. On the other hand, significant changes in the underlying patterns of saving and investment suggest that some of the recent rebalancing may prove to be more permanent. Are such imbalances really a problem? If so, why and for whom? What should be done about them—if anything—and what does the future likely hold for transpacific trade relations? In this timely book, Asian and American economists explore those important questions. Copublished with the Asian Development Bank Institute, Transpacific Rebalancing is coedited by Barry Bosworth—long one of the Brookings Institution's leading economic analysts—and Masahiro Kawai, dean of the ADBI. They brought together leading economists from either side of the Pacific to analyze such issues as: • The impact of exchange rates • The policy choices facing the "Asian tigers" • The specifics and effects of trade imbalances in specific countries including the United States, South Korea, Thailand, India, and China Contributors include Hwee Kwan Chow, Susan M. Collins, Barry Eichengreen, Joonkyung Ha, Yping Huang, Ginalyn Komoto, Jong-Wha Lee, Rajiv Kumar, Deunden Nikomborirak, Gisela Rua, Lea Sumulong, Chalongphob Sussankam, Kunyu Tao, Willem Thorbecke, and Pankaj Vashisht.

This book examines the success of the US rebalancing (or pivot) strategy towards Asia, placing the US pivot in a historical context while highlighting its policy content and management dilemmas. Further, the contributors discuss the challenges and opportunities that each regional state confronts in responding to the US rebalancing strategy. In 2011, President Barack Obama laid out the framework for a strategic pivot of US policy towards the Asia Pacific region. Writers in this volume focus specifically on Asian perception of the strategy. Among the topics they explore are: China’s desire to be seen as equal to the US while maintaining foreign policy initiatives independent of the US strategic rebalance; the strengthening of Japan’s alliance with the US through its security policies; the use of US-China competition by South Korea to negotiate its influence in the region; and Australia’s embrace of the strategy as a result of foreign direct investment that provides economic benefits to the country.

This edited volume evaluates the prospects for monetary and financial cooperation in East Asia after the crises in the developed countries (2008 in the US, 2010 in Europe).

This book takes stock of and analyzes the events during the Asian financial crisis (AFC) and subsequent developments, including the global financial crisis (GFC), that led to the development of the ASEAN+3 regional financial cooperation framework and the establishment of the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office. The book is the first of its kind to compile comprehensive recollections of the major players during the AFC and the GFC, including country-level narratives on the causes and developments of the crises, and measures to overcome them. The book not only presents an analytical and deeper examination of country experiences during both crises, but also assesses the two crises and covers the lessons learnt from the crises, particularly with a focus on the development of regional financial cooperation. The book concludes with regional financial cooperation in retrospect, aiming to catalyze further discussions on the direction of the region's financial cooperation.

The book The APPSMO Advantage: Strategic Opportunities is on the Asia Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO). APPSMO is a series of conferences organised by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and its predecessor, the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, for senior military officers of Singapore and other countries of the Asia Pacific, consisting of an intensive week-long programme of lectures, forums, and discussion groups. Very senior speakers share their views on strategic matters, and defence and military issues. The programme brings together key people whose fingers are on the trigger to enable them to communicate with each other directly and informally, thereby enhancing networking among their defence forces, while benefitting from contacts and exchanges between the scholarly and policy communities.

Mega-regionalism in the Asia Pacific has led to the formation of several emerging trade blocs, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership. This book, in addition to the examination of trade policies in the region, offers a comprehensive analysis of ongoing developments such as the impact of new members on the incumbent TPP-12 and its spillover to third parties, as well an objective study of the crucial issues of liberalization of agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and intellectual property rights.

This collaborative volume​ discusses the One Belt One Road, or the New Silk Road, initiative of Chinese President Xi Jinping from the perspectives of the Belt and Road countries. This initiative has been viewed as a re-globalization drive by China in the backdrop of financial crisis of the West and the latter’s increasingly protectionist tendencies of late. Rather than ‘rebalancing’ towards a certain region, this is supposed to be China’s ‘global rebalancing’ aimed at inclusiveness and a win-win partnership. The initiative has raised hopes as well as suspicions about China's goals and intentions; that is, whether this is in sync with China’s foreign policy goals, such as multipolarity, no hegemonic aspirations, and common security, or if this is an antidote to the U.S. foreign policy goals in the region, and China’s ambition to realizing its long-term vision for Asian regional and global order. In this volume, a galaxy of eminent academics from India, China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Germany and Southeast Asia have critically analysed every aspect of this mammoth project, including the six major economic corridors identified by China for policy coordination, infrastructure connectivity, unimpeded trade, monetary circulation, and people to people exchanges. The authors have interpreted China’s peripheral, regional as well as global diplomacy both over land and sea. This topical volume is of interest to scholars and students of Asian studies, China studies, Asian history, development studies, international relations and international trade.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership, with its twelve participating countries on three continents, is the largest regional trade and investment agreement that Canada has ever negotiated. It is also one of the most controversial— for good reason. Negotiations ended exactly a year ago, in October 2015, and the TPP was signed in New Zealand in February 2016. But there is no guarantee it will ever come into effect. Opposition to the TPP is strongest in the United States, where both 2016 presidential nominees vowed to kill or significantly renegotiate the deal. Outgoing President Barack Obama characterized the TPP as a Made-in-America deal in the hope of getting it passed into law shortly after the November presidential election. But is what is good for corporate America good for Canada? In this book, experts in a dozen policy areas explain what the impact of the TPP agreement would be on Canada. Many of the key issues they explore have received little media coverage, notably the effect of the TPP on environmental protection, health care and other public services, Canada's cultural industries, the labour market, human rights and the democratic decision-making process generally. Perhaps most controversially, the TPP would expand the rights of multinational corporations to sue governments for policies and decisions that interfere with their profits. Most public commentary on the TPP in Canada has come from CEOs and business lobbyists with a vested interest in furthering a free-trade model that impoverishes democracy and weakens our ability to shape public-interest regulation. The expert contributors to this book, drawn from academia, the labour movement and NGO world, offer an independent and nuanced account of the real but underreported costs of the TPP.

This book explores the struggle between China and the United States to expand their influence in Asia through economic assistance and defensive alliances. It brings together the diverse viewpoints of scholars from various countries on how Asian countries will exploit this geo-strategic competition to pursue their national interests, while also balancing their relations with the two great powers. The book offers a valuable asset for all those who have an interest in great power politics and international relations, especially academics, policymakers and security experts.