Dispute Settlement Provisions in Asean's External Economic Agreements with China, Japan and Korea

This paper conducts a detailed critical analysis of the dispute settlement mechanisms in ASEAN's external economic agreements with China, Japan and Korea by reviewing the main procedural rules of these mechanisms. The paper also discusses the difference among these agreements, and compares them with the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement mechanisms. The paper concludes with thoughts on how these dispute settlement mechanisms might evolve in the future, especially in view of the ongoing negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP)