Current Issues in Economic Integration : Can Asia Inspire the 'West'?

The economic crisis throws into question a number of well established and received beliefs. It opens a debate centred on the stimulating role that the Asian continent could play vis-a-vis 'the West', and in particular, vis-a-vis the European Union. This book engages these key issues in the broad theme of integration.

The current economic crisis has called into question the long term viability of the decoupling between multinational firms and the banking system. It has also cast serious doubts on the US dollar-centred monetary system, and invited reassessment of the long term viability of US-China economic relations based on a US current account deficit absorbed by Chinese financial institutions. It is also an opportunity to analyse the rise in property prices, particularly in fast-growing economies. Long term food security is also an issue, bringing to the fore the multinational firms from emerging economies (such as China and India) and calling into question the response strategies of multinational firms from the West and Japan. This book engages these key issues within the broad theme of integration, to give an up-to-date consideration of the subject, opening debate on the future stimulating role that Asia could play vis-à-vis the West, particularly the European Union.