Debate continues over whether a monetary or currency union will be a viable alternative to the current exchange arrangements in East Asia. The present paper adds to the literature by assessing the level of business cycle synchronization among 10 major East Asian countries, which is considered a...

How the price of food is determined has become a critical issue, given the drastic surges in prices in recent years and the prevailing expectation of further increases. Along this line, this paper examines the sources of food price fluctuations in 11 developing Asian countries. The working model...

This paper examines the impact of foreign participation in Korean Treasury Bond (KTB) futures and its role in price discovery for KTBs, using daily transactions data from the over-the-counter market for KTBs and from the Korea Exchange for the futures. Our analysis suggests that foreign trading...

Poverty and income inequality remain a stubborn challenge in Asia and the Pacific despite the region’s rapid economic expansion in previous decades, which lifted millions out of poverty. Financial inclusion is often considered as a critical element that makes growth inclusive as access to...

This paper examines the unfolding of the U.S. sub-prime-generated turmoil and its potential spillover effects on Asia's emerging financial systems. The sub-prime mortgage mess has revealed key structural weaknesses in the evolution of modern credit markets. Although emerging Asian financial...