Covering major Asian economic blocs and dialogues, this study comprehensively reviews the true progress of "Asian" economic integration in comparison with the European Union (EU) and examines the factors contributing to the integration. The results show that comprehensive continent-wide economic...

This paper develops a multilateral currency system where national currencies are used for trade settlement in East Asia, comprising the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries, the People's Republic of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ASEAN+3). The currency scheme...

The Americas have been a key driver of regional trade agreements (RTAs) since the 1990s. This study considers the effect of these agreements on trade liberalization, and the lessons that this offers for other parts of the world, notably Asia. It finds broad geographical coverage of RTAs in the...

The aim of this paper is to analyze the barriers to economic integration of Caspian Sea countries ‒ specifically the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Georgia ‒ and suggest solutions. A literature review is used as a methodology for conducting...

Despite the increasing recognition that the renminbi (RMB) may eventually become a key global currency, several important questions remain to be answered. This paper analyzes the benefits and costs of the RMB becoming an international currency. The benefits include reduced exchange risk,...

In this paper we try to address the question of what could help make the renminbi a reserve currency. In recent years, the authorities in the People's Republic of China (PRC) have made efforts to internationalize its currency through a two-track strategy: promotion of the use of the renminbi in...