Trade Arrangements and Evolving East Asian and Asia Pacific Economic Architectures

Trade arrangements constitute one form of economic architecture that is in the process of evolution in East Asia and the Asia-Pacific region. Trade architectures however can no longer be viewed in isolation but must be seen in the context of the broader regional economic integration initiatives that are also being developed in the two regions. These initiatives all encompass trade arrangements, either existing or proposed, but they each also incorporate a number of other dimensions of economic integration, with considerable variation among them in the range of dimensions covered, in the modalities adopted, and in the depth with which different dimensions are pursued.