Emerging Trajectories and Globalized Regionalism

Globalization-refers to emergence of borderless economy with its own laws of

motion
Regionalisms
-Geographic entities (emerging integrated units with shared interests or
identity, e.g., ASEAN, BIMSTEC, SAARC)
-phenomenon since post-Second World War international relations(started
with EUROPE German and France common steel trading market which both
countries benefited)
-Regional group arose since 1950/60. E.g. EEC, OPEC, ASEAN, SAARC
-received new impetus in post-cold war era and after both war world, when
countries learn to trade in a more civilized manner
Shifting paradigms
-Wave of economic policy reforms (Indias look east policy, Chinas Deng Xiao
Ping focus on capitalism)
-Rising globalization (to ride on the wave of globalization, benefits from it)
-Growth of interdependence between states and institutions( less law
enforcement and regulations from the government and private companies,
look east, indias lax in regulations , Singapore. LKY recognized private sector
should eventually take the lead in economy)
-security concerns
-Power balance in multi-polar world(ASEAN with China, India and US,
containment policy in both military and economic)
-Asian integration (the failure of Europe econmy and rising Asian power such
as china and india)
Erosion of the sovereign power of the state
-Effects of globalization (countries depend on each other for trade, decrease
the monoloy of great power countries)
-regional economic interdependence (depend trade on its own area, own
neighbor, for example Japan being the 3 rd largest exporter of china)

-transnational motilities and identities (diaspora, Singapore having 150k ppl

abroad, India communities to ASEAN and west, china workers evident all over
the world)
-Globalization and regionalization lead to enhanced integration (unification of
economic/political policies, foreign policies)
Economic Landscape
-Economic nationalism (building of the nation state with its own economic
individuals, consolidation of states in the international system)
-Economic globalization (expansion of one or more market to world scale)
-Economic liberalization leading to greater interplay of market forces and
consequent lessening of economic role of the state (Market runs to economic,
rather than the stats)
-Sates also compelled to safeguard the economy (Unlike India, where the
state retreat too fast, Singapore actually prepare to shoulder 70% of the risk
of venturing abroad)
Historicizing Asian Regionalism
-First Asian relations conference in New Delhi, by Nehru in 1947
-ASEAN(1967)
-Post-Cold war period + war world(fighting communism + civilized trading)
Regionalism in Southeast Asia
-Concrete manner/process in 1960s
-Creation of ASEAN in 1967 (evolved its unique way of avoiding inter-state
conflicts
-Financial crisis of 1997, SARS, Tsunami, global events lead ASEAN realized
the importance of proper structures and mechanism
-Regional cooperation complement bilateral and multilateral cooperation
-South East Asian Treaty Organization (1954-1977)
-ASEAN Free Trade Area 1992 (1995 1997 1999 Laos Myanmar Vietnam
Cambodia)
-South East Asia Trade Organization

-ASEAN economic community AEC declare in BALI summit, inpite conflicts of

interest
South Asia Geo Political imperatives
-Post colonial system stop regionalism(British colonial, reluctant, no interest)
-SAARC formed in 1985, and is not very functional
-shift in foreign policy in post-cold war (economic globalization lead economy
close integrated)
-Collaboration of interest ( india dominance of knowledge, growing rapid,
dont need neighour)
Constructing a Security Community
-Security concerns in Asia Traditional and non-traditional (Pakistan & India
relationship, India and China relationship, sino india, Bangladesh war)
-Regional cooperation and community formation (working together,
Singapore and India)
-Council for security Cooperation in Asia Pacific (CSCAP)
-ASEAN Institute of strategic and International Sutdies ASEAN-ISIS
-Role of USA in influencing and involving itself in the Asian security
architecture
Regionalization in a globalizing world
-Regionalization with positive effects of glablization-Enhance human
mobilities, greater exposure in economic opportunities, remittances
-Sense of belonging, common identity(diaspora)
-Regionalization and the global economy
Singapore
-Economic interdependency a part of its foreign policy
-Aims of making the island city into a primary trading hub
-reflects the regional and global interdependence
-Encourage regionalization, asking Singapore to venture out (Mobil Oil
Corporation and Singapore economic development board set up program to
develop new generation of managers, sending them overseas. Singapore
government prepare to shoulder 70% of the risk)

-Reflects the regional and global interdependence.

Singapore Approach
-Recognized the need for regionalization
-Goh chock tong assert importance to ventures oversea (build on Malaysia
Indonesia and Asean nations, new markets with long term view, be a good
cooperative citizens
-Glovbal vision to succeed abroad(gain efficiency in lower labor cost,
exploiting superior technology )
-diversify from excessive dependence on ASEAN and focus on opportunities
such as China, India.