The 1990s witnessed a worldwide boom of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) in which Northeast Asia lagged far behind other regions. However, recent developments suggest that a new era of regional integration may be dawning in Northeast Asia. This volume is a collection of papers presented at a conference entitled 'Northeast Asian Economic Integration: Prospects for a Northeast Asian FTA,' held August 6-7, 2003 in Honolulu, jointly organized by the Korean Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) and the Northeast Asia Economic Forum (NEAEF). Distinguished scholars from around the world and experts from the region provided their views on feasible options and concrete policy measures available to each country toward the realization of a trilateral FTA based on a deep and critical analysis of economic/political constraints and the trade/economic structure of each country.

List of Figures
List of Tables
Contributors
Preface
Introduction and Overview
Yangseon Kim and Chang Jae Lee

PART I: WORLDWIDE RISE OF REGIONALISM

1. The Proliferation of Regional Trade Agreements and Its Rationale
Wilfred J. Ethier
Comments Soogil Young
2. European Economic Integration: Assessments and Prospects Thierry Mayer
Comments Shujiro Urata
3. From NAFTA to FTAA Gary Clyde Hufbauer
Comments Chung H. Lee

PART II: FTA POLICIES IN NORTHEAST ASIA

4. Japan's Strategy toward Free Trade Agreements Shujiro Urata
Comments Wilfred J. Ethier
5. Korea's FTA Policy: Progress and Prospects Inkyo Cheong
Comments Fukunari Kimura
6. China's FTA Policy and Practice Wen Hai and Hongxia Li
Comments Chang Jae Lee

Part III: CHARACTERISTICS OF INTRA-REGIONAL TRADE AMONG CHINA, JAPAN AND KOREA

7. Intra-Regional Trade in Northeast Asia: Trends and Characteristics
Yangseon Kim and Chung H. Lee
Comments Inkyo Cheong
8. Intra-Regional Trade among China, Japan, and Korea : Intra-Industry Trade of
Major Industries
Fukunari Kimura and Mitsuyo Ando
Comments Kazutomo Abe

Part IV: PROSPECTS FOR AN FTA AMONG CHINA, JAPAN AND KOREA

9. Economic Effects of a Possible FTA among China, Japan, and Korea
Kazutomo Abe
Comments Theresa M. Greaney
10. Towards A Northeast Asian Economic Community: A Korean Perspective
Chang Jae
Comments Wen Hai

Part V: MAJOR FINDINGS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS

Panel Discussion
Gary Clyde Hufbauer
Thierry Mayer
Il SaKong
Soogil Young