No / This paper represents part of an ongoing study on the topic of foreign direct investment (FDI) and poverty reduction in the ASEAN region. The overall study covers both macro- and microeconomic aspects of this issue, and this paper addresses the macro dimension. Considerable work has been done on the relation between economic growth and poverty reduction, and by now a conventional wisdom is emerging which can be stated simply that while growth is critically important for poverty reduction, the pattern and nature of the growth process in economies also matters. Following this reasoning this study explores the link between FDI and poverty reduction. The broad hypothesis to be tested is that FDI through its growth effect or other means is poverty reducing. While a great deal has been written on a variety of aspects relating to poverty, the precise FDI-poverty link has rarely been addressed directly, and we seek to remedy this gap in the literature. The paper is in four sections. The first discusses briefly the broad dimensions of poverty in the ASEAN region and recent trends in terms of FDI. Having set out these empirical dimensions, the remaining sections consider data analysis and results. The second section sets out the econometric approach and the results from the relevant literature, the third discusses data and some preliminary results. The fourth gives the main results, and finally we draw some conclusions. I. Poverty and FDI in ASEAN Naturally within ASEAN as a region the poverty picture is very varied, as one would expect given the diversity of income levels among the member states. Table 1 summarises the position in terms of income levels and past income growth rates. The inequality in the group can be seen readily with two high-income countries, Singapore and Brunei; three lower-middle income countries, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand; and the remaining members--Indonesia, Cambodia, Lao, Myanmar, Vietnam--all low income.

China and the South China Sea region will play an important role in global and US strategic policy for the foreseeable future. Because China is an upcoming global economic power, the US and other nations must become cognizant of China's motivations in the South China Sea in order to avoid conflict, which seems inevitable. The purpose of this thesis is to examine China's conflicts/tensions in the South China Sea, specifically the Spratly Islands, Paracel Islands, Taiwan, ASEAN, and US Navy. Discussions on the evolution of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) will also provide additional insight to China's actions in the region. Understanding China's history, role, and claims in the region begins to paint a picture that the PLAN are operating under a principle very similar to the Monroe Doctrine, which allowed the US unfettered access to the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Lastly, the thesis will demonstrate that the Chinese version of the Monroe Doctrine as well the country's desire to establish dominance in the South China Sea, which she sees as her "lost territory", is derived from the fear of an encirclement strategy implemented by the US and a nascent US-backed collective security regime, ASEAN. / Master of Arts

Cette thèse utilise des modèles d’économétrie spatiale pour explorer les déterminants de la localisation spatiale de l’IDE au Vietnam. Le premier chapitre présente la littérature théorique relative à la localisation de l’IDE, et les faits stylisés de la localisation de l’IDE au Vietnam. Le deuxième chapitre analyse les déterminants de la localisation spatiale de l’IDE en ASEAN. Les résultats d’estimation indiquent une grande différence de motivation entre la localisation de l’IDE extra-ASEAN et intra-ASEAN. Les flux d’IDE extra-ASEAN sont de forme verticale complexe, alors que les flux d’IDE intra-ASEAN sont de plateforme d’exportation. Le troisième chapitre étudie les déterminants de la localisation spatiale de l’IDE dans les provinces au Vietnam. Les résultats d’estimation indiquent que l’IDE dans une province n’est pas seulement attiré par la taille du marché, la main-D'oeuvre qualifiée, la qualité des infrastructures, et l’agglomération des firmes dans cette province, mais aussi dans ses voisines. En outre, le coût du travail, la productivité du travail, et les politiques nationales et locales jouent également un rôle important. Le quatrième chapitre porte sur le rôle des institutions locales dans la localisation spatiale de l’IDE dans les provinces du Vietnam. Les résultats d’estimation montrent que la qualité des institutions locales mesurées par la transparence, la politique d’appui au secteur privé et la politique sur le travail affectent significativement la localisation spatiale de l’IDE dans les provinces au Vietnam. / This thesis uses spatial econometric models to explore the determinants of spatial location of FDI in Vietnam. The first chapter presents the theoretical literature on FDI location, and the stylized facts of the FDI location in Vietnam. The second chapter analyzes the determinants of the spatial location of FDI in ASEAN. Results indicate a significant difference in motivation between the location of extra-ASEAN FDI and intra- ASEAN FDI. The extra-ASEAN FDI are of the form of complex vertical FDI, while intra- ASEAN FDI are of the form of export platform FDI. The third chapter examines the determinants of the spatial location of FDI in the provinces in Vietnam. Results indicate that FDI in a province is not only attracted by the market size, skilled workforce, quality infrastructure, and agglomeration of firms in this province, but also in its neighbors. In addition, labor costs, labor productivity, and national and local policies also play an important role in the spatial location of FDI. The fourth chapter focuses on the role of local institutions on the spatial location of FDI in the provinces in Vietnam. Results show that the quality of local institutions, measured by transparency, political support to the private sector and labor policy, significantly affects the spatial location of FDI in the provinces in Vietnam.

In October 2003, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) proposed the establishment of a security, economic and socio-cultural community by the year 2020. Given that initiators of the ASEAN proposal were informed by the scholarly literature on the concept of a 'security community', this dissertation develops and then tests the concept in relation to the ASEAN states. Here, the concept of a 'security community' is understood as 'a transnational grouping of two or more states whose sovereignty is increasingly amalgamated and whose people maintain dependable expectations of peaceful change'. The application of the 'security community framework' developed in this study is necessary to provide a conceptual basis for critically assessing the major factors that could potentially impede ASEAN's evolution towards a security community. For the purpose of such an assessment, the study provides a detailed investigation of the most significant historical issues and contemporary security challenges that inform the nature of inter-state relations in Southeast Asia. As a complement to this approach, the dissertation incorporates the analysis of data obtained from extensive fieldwork in all ten of the ASEAN states involving over 100 in-depth interviews and two survey designs (one at the elite level and another at the communal level) involving 919 participants. While the survey work, especially at the communal level, is best considered a pilot study and the results are therefore to be considered as indicative, the research nevertheless represents the first empirical assessment of regional perceptions of trust, intra-mural relations, security, economic integration, and liberalisation and of a broad range of other factors relevant to the analysis. The interview data has also been invaluable in uncovering previously unpublished information and in contextualising the analysis. Despite a considerable strengthening of the region's security architecture since ASEAN's formation, the ten chapters in the study reveal that the Association has a long way to travel before it will satisfy the defining criteria of a security community. The region lacks a common sense of community and consequently the level of trust between the Southeast Asian states remains problematic. The political elite continue to engage in episodes of competitive behaviour, have been unable to resolve territorial disputes, and thus the continued potential for armed conflict undermines the prospect for 'dependable expectations of peaceful change'. Therefore, ASEAN's evolution towards the status of a security community, if it proceeds further, will likely occur over the course of many decades rather than by ASEAN's current goal of 2015.

After Cold war, the trend of economical globalization has led the region cooperation development. As China is going to focus on economic growing, its good neighborhood policy is most important especially in East Asia.In 2002, ASEAN and China decide to build up a free trade area between each other. The China-ASEAN free trade area is expected to be an important economic area in 2010. The study is using Neo-functionalism to analyze China¡¦s policy in East Asia.To explore the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area ,its circumstance and development.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of New South Wales, 2004. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Aug. 4, 2006). Includes bibliographical references (p. 423-490).

Cette thèse est construite autour de trois essais empiriques examinant les niveaux d’efficience et les effets de la gouvernance d’entreprise et de la diversification sur l’efficience des banques de l’ASEAN. Avec le premier essai, le modèle AFS de Kumbhakar et al. (2014) est utilisé pour mesurer les niveaux d’efficience des banques commerciales de l’ASEAN. Les résultats font apparaître que les banques de l’ASEAN sont très économiques mais peu rentables. Les banques malaisiennes sont les plus rentables mais les moins économiques, alors que les banques indonésiennes sont les moins rentables mais les plus économiques. Aucune tendance générale à la progression ou au recul du niveau d’efficience ne se dégage sur l’ensemble del’échantillon. Le second essai utilise le modèle Dynamic System GMM pour estimer les effets de différents aspects de la gouvernance d’entreprise sur l’efficience des banques, afin de vérifier toutes les formes d’endogénéité. Il en ressort que les banques ayant les plus fortes participations de l’État et la plus faible indépendance de l’organe de direction ont un meilleur rapport coût-efficience. En outre, on ne trouve pas d’élément de preuve déterminant quant aux effets de la structure de proprieté et des caractéristiques du conseil sur l’efficience profits. Le dernier essai estime l’influence de la diversification sur l’efficience des banques. Les résultats généraux font apparaître une relation positive entre diversification et rapport coût-efficience, mais une relation négative entre diversification et rentabilité. D’autre part, les banques ayant un financement diversifié et une participation de l’État ont un meilleur rapport coût-efficiencemais une rentabilité inférieure à celle des autres banques. De plus, la diversification des financements et des actifs pourrait rendre les banques étrangères moins rentables. / This thesis consists of three empirical essays examining the efficiency levels and the effects of corporate governance and diversification on efficiency of ASEAN banks. Chapter 1 uses Kumbhakar et al.’s (2014) SFA to measure the efficiency levels of ASEAN commercial banks. The results show that ASEAN banks are highly cost efficient but very low profit efficient. Malaysian banks are found to be the most profit efficient but the least cost efficient, while Indonesian banks are the least profit efficient but the most cost efficient. No general trend of increasing or decreasing in efficiency levels is found for the whole sample. In chapter2, to estimate the impacts of various aspects of corporate governance on bank efficiency, the Dynamic System GMM is used with the purpose of control for all forms of endogeneity. The results suggest that banks with higher degrees of government ownership and lower levels of board independence exhibit higher levels of cost efficiency. In addition, no significant evidence is found for the effects of ownership structure and board characteristics on profit efficiency. Chapter 3 estimates the influence of diversification on bank efficiency. The general findings suggest a positive relationship between diversification and cost efficiency buta negative relationship between diversification and profit efficiency. On the other hand, funding-diversified banks associated with government ownership demonstrate higher cost efficiency but lower profit efficiency compared to other banks. While, funding and asset diversification could make foreign banks less profit efficient.

No / This chapter analyses the how, who, where and why of rapid rise in intra-regional investment by companies from ASEAN since 2009. The chapter analyses the push and pull factors of intra-regional investment in ASEAN, the resulting patterns of foreign direct investment (FDI) and the accompanying rise of strong regional players. The region’s FDI landscape is changing in terms of investment sources, players, FDI trends and dynamics of the region. This trend is strongly affected by stepped up efforts by ASEAN governments to encourage their national companies to invest in the region and the influence of the ASEAN Economic Community. Regional integration and emerging business opportunities are providing an impetus not seen before in driving intra-regional investment. As more ASEAN companies position and prepare for AEC 2015, this intra-regional investment wave is likely to gather force. The chapter lists the regional and global ‘footprint’ of the top 50 largest ASEAN companies by revenues. The thus identified companies include companies operating in oil and gas, mining, agri-business, telecommunications, food and beverages, manufacturing, banking, power generation, infrastructure, real estate and healthcare services.

The Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) has since its origins in the late 1960’s been connected to the emphasis on Economic, Social and Cultural rights and the regional need for economic development. Through the intense years and debates that followed the first ASEAN Declaration the unity has made significant contributions to the Human Rights discourse due to the challenges and possibilities that surfaced. The Kingdom of Cambodia is one of the ASEAN member states poorest countries but through rapid economic development are well on its way towards becoming a middle- income nation. The local experiences of the Khmer people in the Cambodian society will provide indicators of what is needed out of an ASEAN Human Rights mechanism. This Master’s Thesis will critically analyze the evolving ASEAN Human rights mechanism as it has reached so far and what the Khmer Human Rights needs are from such a mechanism.

This thesis addresses issues concerning trade effects of a particular RTA: AFTA. In the first part of the thesis, 2 different but related gravity frameworks are constructed as to evaluate the independent effects of AFTA on relevant countries' trade flows. The first paper proposes examining ‘AFTA-effects' on members' trade, specifically within the AFTA context. This aims to distinguish trade effects that AFTA has had on early and delayed members' trading patterns. The panel ‘Gravity Model' is constructed, pointing to control for several biases commonly observed in the cross-section model. Although the result implies that early members do share trade benefits from AFTA more than non-members, the overall ‘AFTA-effects' on the membership's trade have not been benign. Another paper measures ‘AFTA-effects' on both members' and non-members' trade. This aims to assess whether AFTA has played a role as an export base for the international market. In this case, ‘AFTA-effects' appeared positive. Such effects are driven by an enhancement in extra-export bias, suggesting that the membership's exports to outside destinations have increased post-AFTA. The last paper provides a theoretical framework addressing the incidence of RTA-membership expansion. The fact that AFTA was gradually established and empirical results indicating AFTA's impacts on members and non-members brings about the idea that bloc-membership expansion could plausibly be explained by the economic effects that these countries have received. The corollaries of trading with/without RTA-membership of a potential member's gains of trade and welfare levels are related to the decision towards membership. Even though welfare effects are not always greater, the RTA-membership status surely benefits member countries in gains from trade more than non-members. This can be perceived as one of the important reasons to explain the widespread regionalism worldwide and why joining the RTA is often seen as a safe haven strategy for a country.