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)