Economic Integration and Openness in Europe and East Asia

The paper discusses European and East Asian Integration, and makes some comparisons between developments in the two regions. We stress that the process of integration is a political process as well as an economic one, and that the stimulation of competition is more important than the generation of trade in achieving the economic and political objectives that the Europeans have set themselves. It is therefore important before comparing integration in Europe and East Asia to note that the political agenda in the two regions may not be the same.