Regional Economic Integration in East Asia: Institutions, Agreements and the European Experience

This interdisciplinary book analyses the regional economic integration and its institutionalisation that has been pursued in East Asia since the late 1990s and its far-reaching impact for the entire region and beyond. It presents the specificity and evolution of East Asia’s economic integration as well as its outcomes in the form of an impressive number of FTAs concluded by East Asian countries. The book also addresses the region’s institutionalised regionalism of the 21st century, embodied by the recent establishment of two mega-regional institutions for trade and investment facilitation – Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), analysing their economic potential and impact on East Asian economies as well as on regions, including Europe. Additionally, the book offers a comprehensive analysis of integration theories, providing political and economic theories of integration and related conceptual discussions, which may help understand the uniqueness of the East Asian model of integration. The book will be useful for students and researchers in economics, international relations and political science, as well as government administrations and private businesses developing long-term strategic plans towards the region of East Asia.