FTAs and RTAs: The Political Imperative
T C A Srinivasa-Raghavan, Business Standard, August 04, 2006

China Can't Shield Asia From a U.S. Slowdown Yet: William Pesek
Bloomberg, William Pesek

Sure, China is booming, India is catching up and growth remains strong in Southeast Asia. Yet the region is thought to be doomed if the U.S. falters.

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Asia moving towards its own consensus
The Nation, August 25, 2006
Thanong Khanthong

After the 1997-1998 financial crisis, Asia moved away from the "Washington Consensus" by adopting policies that hinge on greater self-reliance, independence from foreign influence and integration within the continent.

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http://nationmultimedia.com/2006/08/25/business/business_30011919.php

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Giving the India-Asean FTA a new thrust
Hindu Business Line, August 24 2006
S. Majumder

The deadlock in the Doha Round talks paves the way for the India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement that was hobbled by the squabbling over the negative list. The list has been pruned twice, bringing down the number of items from 1,414 to 854. But the ASEAN is not impressed and wants the list pruned to a mere 60.

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China, India Lead Debate on Free Capital Flows
Bloomberg, 22 August 2006
Andy Mukherjee

With China and India slowly easing controls on capital inflows and outflows, the risks and rewards of financial globalization are once again in the spotlight.

Now that two of the world's most dynamic economies have decided to walk the arduous -- and perhaps long -- road to full currency convertibility, economists are working hard to fill the gaping hole in our (and their) knowledge about the linkages between capital mobility, economic growth and financial crises.

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Why even Japan now wants a free trade zone
New Strait Times Online, 14 August, 2006
Hardev Kaur

WITH the multilateral trade talks off the table, regional and bilateral trade agreements are being promoted even more aggressively. The East Asian region, which has some of the fastest-growing and most vibrant economies and major traders, is looking to stepping up economic cooperation and trade relations. A number of proposals for regional trading arrangements has been made.

Now Japan, a member of the Paris-based OECD, the world's second largest economy and the world's fourth largest trader — after Germany, the US and China — is proposing a 16-nation Pan-Asian free trade zone covering a large proportion of the world’s population.

click here to read further : http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Friday/Columns/20060811070129/Article/index_html

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Japan's dream of reaching East Asia EPA
People’s Daily Online, 13 August 2006

According to Kyodo news report, Japanese government will propose a new idea of reaching East Asia Economic Partner Agreement or EPA among ASEAN plus Three and Australia, New Zealand and India. Obviously it includes a total of 16 countries in Asia and Pacific areas including the 10 ASEAN countries and China, Japan and South Korea.

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http://english.people.com.cn/200608/13/eng20060813_292731.html

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India`s Protectionism is Trying ASEAN`s Patience
The Nation, 11 August 2006
Sanjana Joshi


The ASEAN has suspended free trade talks with India. According to Rafidah Aziz, the Malaysian International Trade and Industry Minister, the negotiations had become "difficult", since goods placed by India on the exclusion list account for some 30 percent of Southeast Asia`s exports to India.

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http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/08/11/opinion/opinion_30010811.php

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EU to Make Stronger Presence in South-East Asia
The Star Online, August 6, 2006
Paul Gabriel

THE EU is well on its way to strengthening its “presence” in Malaysia, and in the South-East Asian region. The EU is showing stronger common interests – economic, political and security – with the region, with a recent major study on long-term developments in international trade predicting that by 2050, Asean would emerge as the world’s largest exporter.

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http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/8/6/business/15065182&sec=business

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FTAs and RTAs: The Political Imperative
Business Standard, August 04, 2006
T C A Srinivasa-Raghavan

RTA's achieve more-or-less the same outcome as multilateral trading arrangements. For this author has a slightly different question for economists: given the politics of trade, what is the optimum number countries that should be members of an FTA? Also, does it make sense for smaller countries to enter into an FTA of which a gorilla, like the US , China or India, is also a member? To know the real analysis-

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http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage.php?autono=100395&leftnm=4&subLeft=0&chkFlg=

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