237. REGIONAL INTEGRATION AS A DRIVING FORCE
237.
Panel Title : REGIONAL INTEGRATION AS A DRIVING FORCE
Chair : Kozhevnikov Alexander
Participant :
Kozhevnikov Alexander
Paper Title : The Program and Project Methods for Russian-Chinese Interregional
Cooperation
Abstract :
One of the main methods for enhancing mutual understanding and strengthening trust between states and nations is the implementation trans-bordering regional projects. Such projects are tightly tied with the task of development the local territory and improve the life conditions of inhabitants. Several regional programs and projects are implemented in East Asia. They are different in scale and duration, they pursue different strategic and tactical goals. But it is them to create that vital reality of interaction and cooperation in regional community building. Concerning Russian-Chinese trans-border cooperation, its level is much lower now. That's why the experience of other regions is very important. The program and project methods for building of Russian-Chinese trans-border interaction can be suggested. For example, Russia and China can be started of implementation the common Grater Amur Program, which can be included all spectrum of targets and tasks of trans-border interaction. And this Program should be begun with determination of social targets and tasks, and concordance of them between two sides. After the concordance of social targets and tasks it is necessary to determine the material, finance, energy, labor and so on resources needed for implementation of program. The local bilateral pool of economic, social, and humanitarian projects can be the main parts of the program. So the implementation of such projects is a very important task for central and regional authorities. But the planning and promotion of such projects must be very careful. Most of all, during realization of such projects all sides must win, all have to be interested in this project equally. Otherwise, if the project brings more benefits to one side, this project not even increase trust and mutual understanding but on the contrary can lead to estrangement and mutual suspiciousness. For example we can mention the well-known project "Tumanggan". Experts and authorities have been raising new suggestions. We appreciate this. For realization of suggestions it is necessary to raise the quality of expert's decisions highly. Experience of cooperation shows, that we know each other insufficiently. It is necessary to make experts meetings more frequent, to open own and common research centers for studying the experience of regional cooperation, to hold common conferences, symposiums and "round tables".
Urlyapov Vyacheslav Fedorovich
Paper Title : Community-Building in East Asia and Russia
Abstract :
In mid- December, 2005, an inaugural East Asian Summit (EAS) held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia established a forum for dialogue on broad strategic, political and economic issues. In accordance with adopted Declaration, the EAS will be an open, inclusive, transparent and outward-looking forum strived to strengthen global norms and universally recognized values. The EAS will promote community building in the region and form an integral part of the evolving regional architecture. Among the main means of the community building in East Asia was raised the formation of a free trade area (FTA) between all 16 participants of the first EAS. Japan proposed to lauch regional FTA talks in 2008. Tokyo reveald that signing of the FTA within ten years will be a first step towards establishment of the East Asian Community. For strategic and political purposes, the EAS will serve as a forum for building confidence among the countries of East Asia. It aims to promote the development of a measure of East Asian identity. Such an identity, together with growing number of cooperative activites in East Asia, is held to be potentially useful in dealing with powerful regions, namely, the European Union and North America. Russia meets all three criteria to participate in community-building in East Asia,(1) has a status of full ASEAN dialogue partner , (2) accesseed to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and (3) established substantive relations with ASEAN. The first Russia-ASEAN Summit in December, 2005 issued a barrage of intended areas of cooperation through a Jont Declaration, an Agreement on Economic and Development Cooperation, and a Comprehensive Programme of Action to Promote Cooperation (2005-2015). If only half of those are actually carried out, Russia-ASEAN relations will have moved quite far forward. At the same time, the immediate participation in the EAS is no end in itself for Russia. It is quite natural that countries of East Asia have different approaches towards the pace and shape of ccoperation with their Far East neighbour.
Ganjar Nugroho
Paper Title : China and East Asian Economic Regionalism
Abstract :
The initiative to establish East Asian Economic Regionalism (EAER) has been discussed in many forums since the Asian financial crisis. The regionalism will politically institutionalize the economic regionalization in East Asia and integrate a combined market of about 2 billion people, with combined GDP of US$6.3 trillion in 2002 and a total trade volume of US$2.2 trillion in 2001. At the same time, China recorded high economic growth and high amount of FDI inflows. China then declared good-neighborhood and peaceful development policies. It also committed to strengthen economic cooperation with ASEAN through China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, which reaffirms China's important role and power in East Asia region. The prospect of EAER, thus, depends also on China's commitment to support the establishment of EAER. This research attempts to understand China's views and commitment on EAER. China does not have commitment to support the establishment of EAER in near future. It does not want to sacrifice its natural hegemonic potential to international institutions that EAER implies. China considers itself as influential power in East Asia region and, even without EAER, has capabilities play bigger role at global level. However, China has commitment to strengthen economic cooperation with other East Asian countries. With China's commitment, East Asian countries can have closer economic cooperation, but not economic regionalism in near future.
Mark Beeson
Paper Title : Competing hegemonies: China, the United States and Making of East Asia
Abstract :
Some of the most influential strands of International Relations scholarship have been preoccupied with the rise and fall of hegemonic powers. With the United States apparently in a period of decline and China unambiguously rising, this paper uses various approaches to hegemony to firstly, asses the utility of the theoretical literature and secondly, to gauge the nature of and prospects for American and Chinese power. One of the central arguments I develop is that we should not focus too exclusively on the material or ‘hard' power capabilities of the two countries. Somewhat surprisingly, there is some evidence to suggest that China may be able to utilise its growing ‘soft' power capabilities to influence the evolution of a distinctively East Asian regional identity.
