scholarly journals Embedding regional actors in social and historical context: Australia-New Zealand integration and Asian-Pacific regionalism

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Castle
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
World Economy ◽  
Institutional Design ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
External Relations ◽  
Asian Pacific

AbstractThe regionalisation of the world economy is one of the most important developments in global governance in the past two decades. This process has seen ‘inter-regional’ economic agreements emerge between two or more regional groupings. Drawing mainly on the European Union’s external relations, observers accordingly point to the growing importance of regional actors, explaining their agency (or ‘actorness’) with regional attributes such as (supranational) institutional design, size, and member state cohesion. This article challenges this dominant explanation of regional agency. It argues that regional actors are socially, politically, and historically ‘embedded’. Agency reflects the contingency of regional integration processes, the motivations that underpin those processes, and the specific relationships between regions and third parties. This approach explains an important case of inter-regionalism from the Asia-Pacific: CER-ASEAN relations. Since the early 1990s, Australia and New Zealand have used their ‘Closer Economic Relations’ trade agreement for relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. This reflects the ambitions of Australasian officials to shape processes of Asian-Pacific regionalism, and the interests of ASEAN officials in consolidating their own process of transnational market-making. Here, regional agency owed to a transforming world economy and the reconceptualisation of regions within new networks of trade governance.

scholarly journals Embedding regional actors in social and historical context: Australia-New Zealand integration and Asian-Pacific regionalism

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Castle
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
World Economy ◽  
Institutional Design ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
External Relations ◽  
Asian Pacific

The regionalisation of the world economy is one of the most important developments in global governance in the past two decades. This process has seen 'inter-regional' economic agreements emerge between two or more regional groupings. Drawing mainly on the European Union's external relations, observers accordingly point to the growing importance of regional actors, explaining their agency (or 'actorness') with regional attributes such as (supranational) institutional design, size, and member state cohesion. This article challenges this dominant explanation of regional agency. It argues that regional actors are socially, politically, and historically 'embedded'. Agency reflects the contingency of regional integration processes, the motivations that underpin those processes, and the specific relationships between regions and third parties. This approach explains an important case of inter-regionalism from the Asia-Pacific: CER-ASEAN relations. Since the early 1990s, Australia and New Zealand have used their 'Closer Economic Relations' trade agreement for relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. This reflects the ambitions of Australasian officials to shape processes of Asian-Pacific regionalism, and the interests of ASEAN officials in consolidating their own process of transnational market-making. Here, regional agency owed to a transforming world economy and the reconceptualisation of regions within new networks of trade governance.

scholarly journals Embedding regional actors in social and historical context: Australia-New Zealand integration and Asian-Pacific regionalism

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Castle
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
World Economy ◽  
Institutional Design ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
External Relations ◽  
Asian Pacific

The regionalisation of the world economy is one of the most important developments in global governance in the past two decades. This process has seen 'inter-regional' economic agreements emerge between two or more regional groupings. Drawing mainly on the European Union's external relations, observers accordingly point to the growing importance of regional actors, explaining their agency (or 'actorness') with regional attributes such as (supranational) institutional design, size, and member state cohesion. This article challenges this dominant explanation of regional agency. It argues that regional actors are socially, politically, and historically 'embedded'. Agency reflects the contingency of regional integration processes, the motivations that underpin those processes, and the specific relationships between regions and third parties. This approach explains an important case of inter-regionalism from the Asia-Pacific: CER-ASEAN relations. Since the early 1990s, Australia and New Zealand have used their 'Closer Economic Relations' trade agreement for relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. This reflects the ambitions of Australasian officials to shape processes of Asian-Pacific regionalism, and the interests of ASEAN officials in consolidating their own process of transnational market-making. Here, regional agency owed to a transforming world economy and the reconceptualisation of regions within new networks of trade governance.

scholarly journals Forging an Australasian Region: Trans-Tasman Integration and Interregionalism in the Asia-Pacific

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Matthew Adrian Castle
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
International Relations ◽  
Institutional Design ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
Third Parties ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
Ability To Act ◽  
Simple Step

<p>Most commentators view the Australia-New Zealand Closer Economic Relations (CER) agreement as a remarkable example of bilateral integration. CER is not usually regarded, however, as a platform for Australia and New Zealand to jointly engage with third parties. Yet, more than a decade of CER-ASEAN relations culminated, in 2010, in a Free Trade Agreement (the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand FTA, AANZFTA) between the two regions. This suggests that intra-regional trans-Tasman integration might “spill over” into external cooperation with third parties. Close cooperation and joint approaches have not, however, eventuated in other cases. Australia and New Zealand applied separately to join the interregional Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) forum in 2008 and 2009, indicating that their ability to act as a region is not consistent across policy or issue areas. This is an intriguing empirical puzzle, given that most observers of interregionalism elsewhere understand the ability of regions to act in international relations (‘actorness’) as a general, rather than variable, characteristic. Why, then, did Australia and New Zealand negotiate as a single entity with ASEAN on an FTA, but did not coordinate their approach in the ASEM case? This thesis argues that the process of trans-Tasman integration has produced a set of issue-specific institutions, which present Australian and New Zealand policy makers with a ready-made framework for cooperation with third parties in some, but not all, issue areas. Once these institutions were established, it proved a relatively simple step to extend the scope of their operation beyond the trans-Tasman level. This suggests that in the trans-Tasman case, ‘actorness’, understood as the basis on which regions can engage in international relations, may be issue-specific rather than generalised. This thesis makes its case by critically analysing the emergence and evolution of CER-ASEAN relations and by documenting Australia and New Zealand’s separate applications to join ASEM. It draws on extensive archival research and interviews with key actors and decision makers. The thesis adds to the nascent field of interregionalism by offering a new empirical case in which to test and develop theories. It makes a contribution to our understanding of the way institutions shape the scope for regions to “act” in international relations. More broadly, this study provides insights into the relationship between institutional design, individual actors and policy outcomes.</p>

scholarly journals Forging an Australasian Region: Trans-Tasman Integration and Interregionalism in the Asia-Pacific

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Matthew Adrian Castle
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
International Relations ◽  
Institutional Design ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
Third Parties ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
Ability To Act ◽  
Simple Step

<p>Most commentators view the Australia-New Zealand Closer Economic Relations (CER) agreement as a remarkable example of bilateral integration. CER is not usually regarded, however, as a platform for Australia and New Zealand to jointly engage with third parties. Yet, more than a decade of CER-ASEAN relations culminated, in 2010, in a Free Trade Agreement (the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand FTA, AANZFTA) between the two regions. This suggests that intra-regional trans-Tasman integration might “spill over” into external cooperation with third parties. Close cooperation and joint approaches have not, however, eventuated in other cases. Australia and New Zealand applied separately to join the interregional Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) forum in 2008 and 2009, indicating that their ability to act as a region is not consistent across policy or issue areas. This is an intriguing empirical puzzle, given that most observers of interregionalism elsewhere understand the ability of regions to act in international relations (‘actorness’) as a general, rather than variable, characteristic. Why, then, did Australia and New Zealand negotiate as a single entity with ASEAN on an FTA, but did not coordinate their approach in the ASEM case? This thesis argues that the process of trans-Tasman integration has produced a set of issue-specific institutions, which present Australian and New Zealand policy makers with a ready-made framework for cooperation with third parties in some, but not all, issue areas. Once these institutions were established, it proved a relatively simple step to extend the scope of their operation beyond the trans-Tasman level. This suggests that in the trans-Tasman case, ‘actorness’, understood as the basis on which regions can engage in international relations, may be issue-specific rather than generalised. This thesis makes its case by critically analysing the emergence and evolution of CER-ASEAN relations and by documenting Australia and New Zealand’s separate applications to join ASEM. It draws on extensive archival research and interviews with key actors and decision makers. The thesis adds to the nascent field of interregionalism by offering a new empirical case in which to test and develop theories. It makes a contribution to our understanding of the way institutions shape the scope for regions to “act” in international relations. More broadly, this study provides insights into the relationship between institutional design, individual actors and policy outcomes.</p>

European ‘models’ and their implications to China: internal and external perspectives

2010 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 755-775 ◽  
Author(s):  
XINNING SONG
Keyword(s):  
Social Development ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
Social Power ◽  
The United States ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
European Studies ◽  
Peaceful Rise ◽  
External Relations ◽  
Asia Pacific Country ◽  
The Eu

AbstractEuropean Studies in China developed very rapidly in the last twenty years. The reasons for that are not only because of the smooth evolution of EU-China relations and wider and deeper economic interdependence between two economic giants, but also the relevance of the European models to China's domestic political and social development, as well as China's external relations. The article reviews the evolution of the European Studies in China and finds out that more and more research on European affairs relates to China's internal and external development. Two major aspects of the learning process are exploited further. Firstly, European models for China's domestic political and social development, including European party politics and Democratic Socialism, European social policy and social security systems, and European regional policies. Secondly, European models for China's foreign policy and external relations, including European neighbourhood policy, European concept of effective multilateralism, Europe as an example of peaceful rise, and functionalism as the way to East Asian regional integration. The EU or Europe has higher profile in China than any other Asia Pacific country. From the domestic political and social development and China's preference in international affairs we can see the silhouette of the European models. Chinese would like to learn more from Europe than the United States. It also shows clearly that the role of the EU as a social power.

CURRENT TRENDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ECONOMIC COOPERATION BETWEEN RUSSIA AND MONGOLIA

2021 ◽  
pp. 83-95
Author(s):  
Tatiana V. Lezhenina ◽  
Keyword(s):  
World Economy ◽  
Economic Cooperation ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Economic Potential ◽  
Asia Pacific Region ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
Bilateral Relations ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Small Countries ◽  
Foreign Policies

In the post-Soviet era, after a period of stagnation of the 90s, Russia and Mongolia began to actively cooperate, using and updating the economic potential created during the years of cooperation between Mongolia and the USSR. Goal. Explore modern conditions for the transition from stagnation in relations between Russia and Mongolia to cooperation. Tasks. Assess the readiness of the two countries to resume wide-ranging communications on mutually beneficial conditions. Methodology. The use of methods of scientific knowledge, the experience of economic relations of large and small countries in conditions of instability of the world economy, new threats and challenges in the XXI century. Results. It is proved that on the basis of mutually beneficial economic cooperation and coordination of domestic and foreign policies, Russia and Mongolia have created guarantees to maintain peace and promote integration in the Asia-Pacific region. Findings. Using the example of studying bilateral relations between Russia and Mongolia together with tripartite ones in the new Russia-Mongolia-China format, the possibility of reducing the dominance of China's role in Mongolia, reducing American influence and pressure on the leadership of Mongolia in order to weaken the Russian and Chinese presence is proved.

ASEAN IN THE PROCESS OF INTEGRATION IN THE ASIAN-PACIFIC REGION

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuchen Shi
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
Development Model ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Pacific Region ◽  
Asia Pacific Region ◽  
Asian Pacific Region ◽  
New Development ◽  
World Economic ◽  
Asian Pacific

The Asia-Pacific region is one of the most important “poles” of world economic development, but the region lacks a mechanism for regional integration and coordination to counter challenges and risks. ASEAN is the earliest example of integration in the region. Thanks to the active promotion and efforts of this organization regional integration in East Asia has formed a new development model, which gives a new idea for the development of regional integration in the Asia-Pacific region.

The New Wave of Regionalism

1999 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 589-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward D. Mansfield ◽  
Helen V. Milner
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
New Wave ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
Regional Institutions ◽  
The North ◽  
Multilateral System

Economic regionalism appears to be growing rapidly. Why this has occurred and what bearing it will have on the global economy are issues that have generated considerable interest and disagreement. Some observers fear that regional economic institutions—such as the European Union (EU), the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Mercosur, and the organization of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)—will erode the multilateral system that has guided economic relations since the end of World War II, promoting protectionism and conflict. Others argue that regional institutions will foster economic openness and bolster the multilateral system. This debate has stimulated a large and influential body of research by economists on regionalism's welfare implications.

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