Economy

To the surprise of many analysts, the outbreak of the global financial crisis (GFC) in 2008 did not leave East Asian economies unscathed. The objective of the paper is to examine the implications of the GFC for the regional economic integration process in East Asia, taking into account both the de facto and the de jure dimensions.

Ifri and the Canon Institute for Global Studies are launching a series of policy papers presenting the analyses of senior Japanese researchers on how the triple disasters that hit the archipelago last March have impacted Japan's economic, environmental and energy policies as well as country's crisis management system.

For more than two decades, China's economy has been growing at an average rate of close to 10 percent. As a result of this stellar performance, China ascended to the rank of the world's second largest economy in 2010, surpassing Japan.

This paper traces the evolution of FDI in ASEAN and discusses future prospects for the region as a host - and increasingly home - to FDI. 

Ifri and the Canon Institute for Global Studies are launching a series of policy papers presenting the analyses of senior Japanese researchers on how the triple disasters that hit the archipelago last March have impacted Japan's economic, environmental and energy policies as well as country's crisis management system.

This first paper deals with a number of the economic challenges that have arisen following the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis, and considers the direction that future economic policies in Japan should take.

In late 2010, the Kan government proclaimed a very ambitious trade agenda, leaving no doubt as to its commitment to free trade. The Basic Policy on Comprehensive Economic Partnerships aimed to promote "high-level economic partnerships with major trading powers" and to "open up the country", including collecting information on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and consulting with the parties to it. 

This paper looks into natural gas pricing in the post-financial crisis market and, in particular, examines the question whether the oil-linked gas pricing system has outlived its utility as global gas markets mature and converge more rapidly than expected and as large new resources of unconventional gas shift the gas terms-of-trade.

After two years of existence at the Heads of State and Government level, the Group of 20 (G20) has reached a turning point. In this new context, a number of questions need to be addressed-in particular, as to how to ensure the transition from a crisis management body to a global governance committee. How can the G20 solve the legitimacy problems inherent to its structure and nature? How can it address its representativeness deficit? What should be the exact mandate of the Group and how can this mandate be achieved?

The crisis, it is now widely accepted, means that markets failed. Meeting for the first time in Washington in November 2008, the G20 embarked in a ride of re-regulation. Months of negotiations later, it dramatically appears different to agree on principles and broad objectives, and to write and enforce rules and commitments. 

The European defence sector generates €86 billion annually - and that is only taking into account the 2009 turnover of the European defence industry for the three areas - aeronautics, land forces and naval forces.

The potential synergy between development and migration has become a key feature of most international migration politics. However, this relationship is far from evident.

An ominous resource crunch in the so-called “rare earth elements” is now threatening the development of a number of key industries from energy to defense to consumer electronics. As key components in the latest generation of technologies, including specialized magnets for windmills and hybrid cars, lasers for range finders and “smart” munitions, and phosphors for LCD screens, demand for these rare metals is expected to grow rapidly in the years to come.