Inherent in this subject is the question of foreign trade: Does it help or hinder development of LDCs or, more concretely, under what conditions and by what measures can positive effects be achieved and negative results be avoided?

A lively debate is taking place over the impact of free trade agreements (FTAs) on East Asia's business between those who view the agreements as a harmful Asian "noodle bowl"—i.e., overlapping regional trade agreements—of trade deals and others who see net beneficial effects in...