Asia Times Online :: Asian Economy

Asian Economy

Trade talks raise medicines concerns
Largely secret United States-led talks to create a Pacific-wide free-trade agreement this year are raising fears that it will cost developing countries access to relatively cheap healthcare by choking off production of generic drugs by extending monopoly powers on drug patents. - Jared Metzker (Jul 17, '13)

ASEAN market integration
a tough call for members
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is preparing for integration of the region's markets. Attaining remaining politically sensitive goals is proving laborious, with the pace-setting economies of Philippines and Indonesia proving notably tricky. - Julius Cesar I Trajano (May 8, '13)

US faces hard battle to secure Asia pact
Asia-Pacific countries are facing a tough choice - sign up to trade pacts that essentially exclude either China or the United States. While the Beijing-led grouping was the favorite to succeed at a Washington conference this month, the US "pivot" to Asia means the White House will redouble efforts to secure more support for its own initiative. - Parameswaran Ponnudura (Feb 7, '13)

Australia's changing Asia trajectory
An Australian government White Paper makes clear the increasing economic and strategic importance to the country of Asia and Asians. Decades after Canberra's retreat from a "White Australia" policy, the document still shows a lack of concern on how to build Australia-Asia relations that are beneficial to both sides rather than treating Asia as little more than a place for "making money". - Purnendra Jain (Nov 16, '12)

'Brand US' key to pivot in Asia
Asian demand for Apple's iPhones and iPads exemplifies the region's support for "Brand US", in contrast to the association of "Brand China" with counterfeit or products and aggressive business practices. It is US business tradition and culture that America's pivot to Asia should more fully embrace. - Curtis S Chin and Jose B Collazo (Nov 2, '12)

The 'myth' of Asian management
Countless volumes have been written, and numerous PowerPoint presentations compiled, to look at whether managing in an Asian environment differs from managing in a Western environment. Close study reveals, however, that most alleged differences are matters of nuance rather than substance. - Raja Thuraisingham and Antony Feeny (Sep 14, '12)

SPEAKING FREELY
Europe offers path for a nuclear Asia
The relatively incident-free transition to Kim Jong-eun's leadership in North Korea still leaves the country's nuclear program a point of deep international contention. Those seeking a breakthrough on the issue could find inspiration in the experience of the European Community's post-war efforts to regionalize the management of civil nuclear power. - Sangsoo Lee (Sep 13, '12)

East holds out feeble recovery hope
The recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Vladivostok highlighted the potential of the Asia-Pacific region in jumpstarting the stagnating global economy. At the same time, the geographically vast, economically diverse, and politically polarized region faces many obstacles that make economic growth anything but certain. - Yong Kwon (Sep 12, '12)

SPEAKING FREELY
Asian economies at risk
from US funding moves
The six-month continuing resolution recently agreed by US Congressional leaders ensures that government funding keeps going if a budget can't be agreed upon by October 1. That is little consolation for defense interests in Asia and elsewhere, whose ventures with the United States can still be derailed. - Christopher Whyte (Aug 16, '12)

Food and Asian integration
The gradual integration of Asia's diverse economies will bring improvements in certain parts of their economies - and carry risks that existing disparities will widen. Food security must be at the forefront of such concerns. - Yong Kwon (Aug 2, '12)

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