The Future of the ASEAN Economic Integration

Abstract

Verico discusses the ASEAN economic integration from dual perspectives of time span (trade, investment and finance) and framework (bilateral, sub-regional, regional and regional plus). The work is a comprehensive study of the integration in the wake of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)'s inauguration in late 2015. Examining various economic agreement levels from the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), Bilateral Free Trade Agreement (BFTA) and the AEC to financial integration in ASEAN, Verico attempts to envisage the future of ASEAN in completing its regional economic integration from trade to investment and finance. Verico argues that, in the absence of a customs union, ASEAN must utilize the open-regionalism frameworks of the ASEAN Plus One, ASEAN Plus Three, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and others in order to shift its economic integration level in this way. Chapter 1: General Introduction -- Chapter 2: The Impact of ASEAN FTA: Regional Level Analysis -- Chapter 3: The Impact of Bilateral FTA: Bilateral Level Analysis -- Chapter 4: The Impact of International Tripartite Rubber Organisation (ITRO): Sub-Regional Level Analysis -- Chapter 5: The ASEAN Economic Community of 2015 and Beyond -- Chapter 6: The Future of ASEAN's Financial Integration -- Chapter 7: General Conclusions. .