Southeast Asia in the New Century: An Asian Perspective

The challenges facing the diverse Southeast Asian region are many and varied in the new century. The economic challenge from a resurgent China puts new seriousness into the efforts to enhance ASEAN economic integration and puts East Asian further forward into the consciousness of Southeast Asians; internal political difficulties continue to vex the region's powers. The editor of this set of papers, authored by Asian scholars from local perspectives, argues that Southeast Asian countries need to manage their priorities very carefully, weighing the necessities of political and institutional reform with the need to maintain stability. The papers in this collection look at internal political challenges and the wider regional perspective, including the progress of economic integration through ASEAN, the mobility of labor and capital throughout the region and East Asia, and the way big power relations shape the international environment for the Southeast Asian nations.