Asian regionalism

ASIAN REGIONALISM

-is the product of economic interaction, not

political planning.

As a result of successful, outward oriented growth

strategies, Asian economies have grown not only
richer, but also closer together.
Regionalism is defined as a political ideology that favors a specific
region over a greater area.

It usually results due to political separations, religious geography,

cultural boundaries, linguistic regions, and managerial divisions.

The regionalism concept encourages municipalities to look beyond

their boundaries and recognize that working together towards the
betterment of an entire area will ultimately prove beneficial to each
locality within it.
Regionalism is a political ideology that seeks to increase the political power,
influence, and/or self-determination of the people of one or more subnational
regions.

The first wave of global regionalism during the 1950s and 1960s coincided with
the founding of ASEAN, which marked the inception of Asian regionalism.

However, the aim of the bloc was to form a loose security alliance against
communist expansion rather than economic integration
However, according to the definitions, the regionalization process
results in the unification, consolidation or integration of some
countries, national economies,

while the globalization process aims at strengthening

interconnectedness and greater unity of all the states of the world.
Main cause of Regionalism

Several reasons including geographical factors, historical factors, linguistic

factors and even political factors have led to the growth of regionalism in India.

There are various forms of regionalism such as secessionism, state disputes,

and demands for autonomy.

Secessionism ( withdrawal of a group from a larger entity like political,

organization , union or military alliance)
 What is the difference between regionalization and
globalization?
• Regionalization is the process of dividing an area into
smaller segments called region. Region can be
identified by natural or artificial features such as
language, government, culture, religion and climate.

• Globalization is the way countries and people of the

world interact and integrate.
 In the early stages of Asia’s economic takeoff, regional
integration proceeded slowly.

 East Asian economies, in particular, focused on exporting to

developed country markets rather than selling to each other.

 Initially, they specialized in simple, labor-intensive

manufactures. As the more advanced among them graduated
to more sophisticated products, less developed economies
filled the gap that they left behind.
 Asian regionalism moved forward steadily until the 1997 Asian
financial crisis.

Regional countries were hit hard by the multiple follow-on crises.

Affected economies felt panic and were not able to cope with serious
challenges, and they discovered that existing regional mechanisms
were of little use in either protecting the region or helping it recover.
 There were two main reasons for this ineffectiveness of Regional
mechanism:

first, the existing mechanisms remained mostly to be regular dialogue

forums and could not generate necessary resources when needed.

Second was a lack of confidence; the Southeast Asian countries

believed the existing regional mechanisms served American and
Western interests at the expense of the regional countries.
 During the past several years, the Asia Society Policy Institute
(ASPI) has organized policy dialogues and working groups focused on
finding solutions to pressing challenges for particular countries and
subregions in Asia.

As the foundation of ASPI’s ongoing work and problem-solving

mandate, these efforts are driven by policymakers and experts with
deep knowledge of and experience working on the countries in
question, resulting in pragmatic solutions that are well-received on the
ground.
 The Policy Institute divides its work into five subregions – East
Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, and West Asia.
Some ASPI initiatives cover multiple subregions; for instance, ASPI’s
work on building Asian security and trade architectures.

However, other initiatives may span just one subregion, a few

countries, or even a single country, as is the case with ASPI’s projects
focused on Myanmar.
 FIVE MAJOR REGIONS OF ASIA

1. Southeast Asia
2. East Asia
3. Central Asia
4. South Asia
5. Southwest Asia (also known as
the Middle East).
Anchored by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Southeast
Asia is one of the most dynamic and diverse regions in Asia. It includes
Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Over the past 50 years,
Southeast Asian nations have managed to overcome instability and conflict
to build a successful multilateral forum that promotes regional cooperation
and consensus-building among a highly distinct and internally diverse group
of countries.

ASPI’s work on Southeast Asia focuses on policy dialogues and solution-

oriented projects and recommendations reports, as well as sharing insights
about and perspectives from the region through public events and expert
commentary. ASPI conducts projects that aim to enhance the security,
prosperity, and sustainability of the region, as well as advance Southeast
Asia’s relations with the United States and the rest of the Asia-Pacific. For
instance, ASPI’s U.S.-Myanmar Track II dialogue helped inform policymakers
in both countries at a time that Myanmar’s government was inching toward
reform and opening up to the international community.
 Housing three of the world’s largest economies and most influential nations
— China, Japan, and South Korea — as well as Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia,
North Korea, and Taiwan — East Asia is a vital center of gravity in the Asia-
Pacific. East Asia’s economic development has transformed the economic and
strategic dynamic beyond Asia as well, boosting growth and trade across the
globe. At the same time, festering historical disagreements, long-standing
instability on the Korean Peninsula, enduring maritime disputes, and China’s
growing military power raise a number of security concerns for the region and the

world .
ASPI’s work on East Asia focuses on enhancing cooperation and dialogue within the
region and between its countries and the United States. It also aims to develop
mechanisms to enhance regional security, prosperity, and sustainability. For instance,
ASPI is working to create a roadmap for linking carbon markets in China, Japan, and the
South Korea to facilitate trilateral cooperation and their emissions reduction efforts. It is
also engaged in a major initiative to decrease misperceptions and increase cooperation
and trust between the U.S. and China. Through public events and expert commentary,
ASPI also furthers understanding of the region in the rest of the world.
Central Asia is a subregion of Asia that stretches from
the Caspian Sea in the west to China and Mongolia in
the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to
Russia in the north. The region consists of the former
Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

The present-day challenges confronting Central Asia

are highly likely to persist over the coming years: some
internal, others having to do with regional trends and
tensions. Following ASPI's project examining the crisis
of governance in Central Asia, ASPI has continued to
provide a forum for dialogue about how the region can
increase security, manage conflicts, strengthen the rule
of law, and deepen ties with the rest of Asia.
Despite regional rivalries and political instability, South
Asia has considerable momentum and great promise for
becoming a hub of growth and prosperity. Indeed, a
prosperous and secure South Asia is vital to the future of
Asia as a whole. Through policy dialogues and solution-
oriented recommendations papers, public events, and
expert commentary, ASPI furthers understanding of the
region in the rest of the world. ASPI has conducted
several projects to assess the region’s challenges and to
develop recommendations on policies to help South
Asia’s countries pave a path toward stability and
development. ASPI has also engaged in work to help
improve relations between the United States and
countries in the region.
West Asia or the Middle East routinely makes headlines due
to a complicated array of security challenges. However, ASPI
doesn’t view this or any region through a singular lens. The
West Asian region has a vibrant history and influential
political and economic ties across the Asia-Pacific, including
with the United States. West Asia remains a vital source of
energy and remittances for many countries across Asia, and
its importance has grown as the challenges it faces
increasingly involve other parts of the world. Through private
roundtables, public discussions, policymaker briefings, and
expert commentary, ASPI facilitates regional cooperation as
well as greater dialogue and understanding between Middle
Eastern countries and the Asia-Pacific region, including the
United States.
ASEAN- Association of Southeast Asia Nation
The original founding nations of ASEAN were Indonesia, Malaysia,
Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
There are 10 member states of ASEAN. Those nations include:
1. Brunei 6. Cambodia
2. Singapore 7. Malaysia
3. Laos
8. Philippines
4. Thailand 9. Indonesia
5. Vietnam 10. Myanmar
 ADVANTAGES
1. Compete with other regions of the country for business and
industry
2. Cite more efficient use of tax dollars
3. Better opportunities to solve problems
4. Promotes global advantages for businesses
5. Unified and form common markets
6. Create larger markets by opening up borders
7. Eliminating taxes and import/export tariffs between the member
nations
8. It could help sustain the region's growth
9. Underpin its stability
10. With the right policies—reduce inequality
 DISADVANTAGES
1.It can weaken the national identity and arise
passionate divisions between members of the
same society.
2.Community might loss its unique identity.

3.It might prevent local politicians from recognizing

the importance of certain national issues or those
in other regions.