tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14858768.post113819195621379250..comments2023-02-15T20:06:13.584+08:00Comments on Rational Choice: The ASEAN economyRoehlanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04018109135738021378noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14858768.post-1138322321994749362006-01-27T08:38:00.000+08:002006-01-27T08:38:00.000+08:00International diplomacy is a fuzzy thing to me. (A...International diplomacy is a fuzzy thing to me. (And maybe to diplomats too). As far as I know there is a Taiwan "office" but we don't call it consulate or embassy for fear of irking PROC. Taiwan has never formally declared independence, though PROC formally claims Taiwan as a province. So all these arrangements with HK and Taiwan will require China's consent. As usual, it is hoped that economic imperative will trump vocabulary - we can call Taiwan an "observer", say but then otherwise negotiate as if another state. <BR/><BR/>The US is mainly interested in keeping the status quo. Taiwan (and I suspect the Taiwanese people) will not accept the same status as province as say Guangdong. It may be that some compromise formula, such as Special Administrative Region under "one country, two systems", may be acceptable to both sides.Roehlanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04018109135738021378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14858768.post-1138295960155358532006-01-27T01:19:00.000+08:002006-01-27T01:19:00.000+08:00Roel,Given what you said about how to bring in Tai...Roel,<BR/><BR/>Given what you said about how to bring in Taiwan and Hongkong, am not sure which side will feel slighted.<BR/><BR/>China who has always claimed Taiwan as part of the mainland.<BR/><BR/>Or Taiwan who has always claimed itself as free and independent from the mainland.<BR/><BR/>And it has been the US "wedge" that has kept the twain from being merged.<BR/><BR/>Doesn't the Philippines have a Taiwanese Embassy/Consulate? I know that many Taiwanese invest/conduct businesses within the country.Amadeohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00040096079637569742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14858768.post-1138233626758921822006-01-26T08:00:00.000+08:002006-01-26T08:00:00.000+08:00Any kind of official relationship with Taiwan is i...Any kind of official relationship with Taiwan is impossible, under the one-China policy. I think Taiwan and Hong Kong should be introduced through the backdoor - by incorporating China, we apply the same policies to HK SAR and Taiwan, both "special" regions or provinces of the People's Republic. Then that will work.Roehlanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04018109135738021378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14858768.post-1138209059739335352006-01-26T01:10:00.000+08:002006-01-26T01:10:00.000+08:00BTW, where is Taiwan in all of this?Taiwan, which ...BTW, where is Taiwan in all of this?<BR/><BR/>Taiwan, which already has a virtual and real Silicon Valley clone within its territory.Amadeohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00040096079637569742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14858768.post-1138202005420462342006-01-25T23:13:00.000+08:002006-01-25T23:13:00.000+08:00CVJ,Actually APEC is supposed to be a free trade a...CVJ,<BR/><BR/>Actually APEC is supposed to be a free trade area someday, though there has been nothing concrete, unlike AFTA (which has the CEPT). It may well be that we iron out the kinks within ASEAN first, then invite more participants under an ASEAN plus formula (now we are talking about ASEAN+3, i.e. China, Japan, South Korea, and ASEAN + 3 + South Asia.)Roehlanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04018109135738021378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14858768.post-1138197193920350492006-01-25T21:53:00.000+08:002006-01-25T21:53:00.000+08:00This is all well and good but it would be much bet...This is all well and good but it would be much better if we included South Asia i.e., India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the Free Trade Zone. A lot of multinationals (especially IT Companies) structure their regional organizations along these lines so this has the added advantage of making it easier for these companies to do business.<BR/><BR/>In the area of labor market integration, the movement of IT skills between India and the Philippines is one area that could definitely be improved. With the IT talents of both countries, we have the potential of creating a mega-IT corridor, a virtual Silicon Valley.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com