Competitive Regionalism FTA Diffusion in the Pacific Rim [Hardcover]

Despite abundant scepticism about their economic benefits, Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) have proliferated at a rapid pace. Policy diffusion models?explain how different sets of preferential trade agreements are interconnected and?establish under what conditions FTAs can work for or against the emergence of coherent regional blocs.Explaining FTA Proliferation: A Policy Diffusion Framework; M.Sol?s ?& S.N.Katada PART I: THEMATIC CHAPTERS Exclusion Fears and Competitive Regionalism in East Asia; S.Urata Political-Security Competition and the FTA Movement: Motivations and Consequences; M.M.Mochizuki Competitive Regionalism through Bilateral and Regional Rule Making: Standard Setting and Locking-In; J.Nakagawa PART II: THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE The US as a Bilateral Player: The Impetus for Asymmetric Free Trade Agreements; C.Quiliconi ?& C.Wise Chile: A Pioneer in Trade Policy; B.Stallings Competitive Regionalism and M?xico's FTA Strategy; A.Flores-Quiroga PART III: EAST ASIA Singapore and ASEAN's Competitive Regionalism in Southeast Asia and Beyond; T.Terada South Korea's FTAs: Moving from an Emulative to a Competitive Strategy; M.G.Koo Japan's Competitive FTA Strategy: Commercial Opportunity versus Political Rivalry; M.Solis China's Competitive FTA Strategy: Realism on a Liberal Slide; J.Yang Conclusion: Free Trade Agreements in a Competitive World; B.Stallings & S.N.Katada Bibliography Index

'The dominant recent development in global trade policy has been the explosive growth of bilateral and regional free trade areas. This excellent volume brings together academic talent from around the Pacific Rim to explore complex and varied issues involved in the evolving policies of individual countries and how they fit together. Bravo for a job well done!' - Edward Lincoln, Director, Centre for Japan-US Business and Economic Studies, New York University, USA

'Why have free trade agreements proliferated at an unprecedented rate since the Worll³