ASEAN economic cooperation and integration have come a long way since the organisation’s early days, when cooperation was more political and diplomatic than economic in nature. ASEAN now constitutes the most ambitious organisation of regional cooperation and integration in the developing world. This book investigates the economics of various ASEAN and ASEAN-centric economic integration initiatives, focusing in particular on the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). In addition to assessing the potential effects of the AEC on the economies of the ten ASEAN member states via changes in trade, foreign direct investment and economic structure, this book underscores the implementation challenges ASEAN faces as it completes the AEC project. It also considers the AEC in the context of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). This comprehensive study is written for academic researchers and students, as well as for policy makers in ASEAN as they chart the future policy path of the region.

– Considers the ASEAN economic community in the context of the evolution of ASEAN cooperation

– Offers a cutting-edge assessment of the economic benefits and costs of creating the ASEAN economic community: gives readers a strong understanding of the qualitative and quantitative effects of the ASEAN economic community for the region

– Gives a frank assessment of the current and future challenges the region faces as it integrates in the face of greater international competition: assesses the challenges to creating a truly unified market in ASEAN in the context of Asia-Pacific regionalism

About the ASEAN Integration Through Law book series

Published by Cambridge University Press, this book series evaluates ASEAN’s community-building process and issues at the forefront of ASEAN law and policy. The series covers six themes: the general architecture and aspirations of ASEAN, the governance and management of ASEAN, the legal regimes in ASEAN, the ASEAN Economic Community, ASEAN and the world, and the substantive laws of ASEAN. Click here for the executive summaries of the books in this series.