Openness and industrialization
The past fifty years witnessed a marked increase in the degree of economic openness in Asia, reflected in its rising share of world trade and investment flows. There were, of course, differences between countries, depending upon their size. The pace of industrialization was also impressive. For Asia, and the Asian-14, the share of manufacturing in GDP rose from one-tenth in 1970 to one-fourth in 2016. But industrialization was most unequal even among the Asian-14. Economic openness has performed a critical supportive role in the process, wherever it has been in the form of strategic integration with, rather than passive insertion into, the world economy. Analysis of the industrialization experience in the Asian-14 shows that openness, while necessary, was not sufficient. It was conducive to industrialization only when combined with sensible industrial policy that was implemented by effective governments. In future, however, technological learning and technological capabilities are also essential to provide the foundations for sustaining industrialization.