Competitive Regionalism Conference

The conference offers an original interpretation of this FTA frenzy by focusing on the competition and rivalry as the central elements in the on-going process.

COMPETITIVE REGIONALISM CONFERENCE

December 7-8, 2007
USC Davidson Conference Center

The recent wave of free trade agreements (FTA) in Asia Pacific has generated a tremendous amount of attention. This conference offers an original interpretation of this FTA frenzy by focusing on the competition and rivalry as the central elements in the on-going process. The diverse panels will discuss how the pursuit of economic gains, the establishment of favorable trade and investment rules, and the competition towards regional leadership shape FTA policies of the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, ASEAN, Mexico and Chile.

Organized by:
Saori N. Katada (University of Southern California) and Mireya Solís (American University)

Sponsored by:
The Center for Global Partnership
Japan-US Friendship Commission
USC Center for International Studies
USC East Asian Studies Center
USC US-China Institute
USC Korean Studies Institute
USC School of International Relations

The event is free, but please email lascis@usc.edu to RSVP or for more information.

December 7 (F) Conference (Davidson Conference Center)

9:00-9:30 Breakfast

9:30-10:00 Welcome and Introduction
 Welcome Address; Patrick James (CIS Director, USC)

 Introduction to the project: Competition as a driver of FTA proliferation,”
  Mireya Solis, Saori N. Katada, and Barbara Stallings

10:00-12:00
 Session 1: Thematic Dynamics

 Moderator: Patrick James (USC)

 Papers:
  “Framework: Competitive Regionalism: Strategic Dynamics of FTA  
   negotiation in East Asia and Beyond” Saori N. Katada (USC)
  Also introducing the paper by Junji Nakagawa (University of Tokyo)
   “Competitive Regionalism in East Asia: Legal Context” in his
   absence.
  “Political Competition and the FTA Movement: Political-Security
   Motivations and Consequences” Mike Mochizuki (GW University)
  “Competitive Regionalism in East Asia; An Economic Analysis” Shujiro
    Urata (Waseda University) (via recording)

  Discussants: Stephan Haggard (UCSD)
   Geoffrey Garrett (USC/Pacific Council)
   Jeffrey Nugent (USC).

12:15-1:45 Lunch and Free time

1:45-3:30

 Session 2: Early Movers in the FTA game

 Moderator: Robert Dekle (USC)

 Paper:
  United States: Carol Wise and Cintia Quiliconi (USC)
  “Competitive Regionalism and Mexico’s FTA Strategy” Aldo Flores-Quiroga
   (Claremont Graduate University)
  Chile: Barbara Stallings (Brown University)

  Discussants: Maxwell Cameron (UBC)
   John Odell (USC)

3:30-3:45 Coffee

3:45-5:15

 Session 3: East Asian FTA giants

 Moderator: Richard Drobnick (USC)

 Papers:
  “Japan’s Competitive FTA Strategy: Tradeoffs between economic and
   political competition” Mireya Solis (American University)
  “China’s Competitive FTA Strategy” Jian Yang (University of Auckland)
  
  Discussants: Ellis Krauss (UCSD)
   Ming Wan (George Mason)

6:30 Dinner

December 8 (Sat) Conference (Davidson Conference Center)

8:30-9:15 Breakfast

9:15-10:45

 Session 4: Increasing FTA leverage

 Moderator: Mireya Solís (American University)

 Papers:
  “South Korea’s Pursuit of “Embedded Liberal” Free Trade Agreements” Min
    Gyo Koo (Yonsei University)
  “Competitive Regionalism in Southeast Asia” Takashi Terada (Waseda
   University)

  Discussants: David Kang (Dartmouth), James Lehman (Pitzer)

10:45-11:00 Coffee Break

11:00-12:30

 Session 5: Roundtable discussion on FTA frenzy
 
 Moderator: Barbara Stallings (Brown University)
 
 Keynote speaker: Jeffrey Schott (Peterson Institute for International Economics)