http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2009/11/26/u-s-trade-policy-in-asia-going-for-the-trans-pacific-partnership/ Economics, Politics and Public Policy in East Asia and the Pacific Fri, 19 Mar 2010 22:12:37 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2009/11/26/u-s-trade-policy-in-asia-going-for-the-trans-pacific-partnership/comment-page-1/#comment-80128 Thanawat Pimoljinda Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:44:36 +0000 http://www.eastasiaforum.org/?p=8093#comment-80128 One of the most important variable factors to make it possible for the realization of the Trans-Pacific Partnership is not the proposal proposed by Japan (East Asian Community) or by Australia (Asia-Pacific Community), but it is the policy choice of ASEAN's member states regarding economic direction. We must realize that economic growth is an end-goal of regional cooperation. The choice of each ASEAN's member states to engage in bilateral or multilateral economic cooperation, particularly with the more developed countries, is more advantageous than cooperating with those who are equally or less developed ones. At this point, the engagement of the US in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) could make some ASEAN leaders reluctant in making their choices - ASEAN Economic Community, East Asian Community, and Asia-Pacific Community. One of the most important variable factors to make it possible for the realization of the Trans-Pacific Partnership is not the proposal proposed by Japan (East Asian Community) or by Australia (Asia-Pacific Community), but it is the policy choice of ASEAN’s member states regarding economic direction. We must realize that economic growth is an end-goal of regional cooperation. The choice of each ASEAN’s member states to engage in bilateral or multilateral economic cooperation, particularly with the more developed countries, is more advantageous than cooperating with those who are equally or less developed ones. At this point, the engagement of the US in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) could make some ASEAN leaders reluctant in making their choices – ASEAN Economic Community, East Asian Community, and Asia-Pacific Community.

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