Taking advantage of the networks developed during the Phase I of this project conducted in fiscal 2003-2005, Phase II aims to promote the establishment of specific policies and systems for achieving an Asian Economic Community. The project engages the participation of policymakers, intellectuals, the political and financial sector, and the media.
Under the self-operated component of this project, Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Director and Chief Executive of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations was invited to serve as a project advisor, and advice was obtained regarding the roles of Japan and India in strengthening relations between South and East Asia. Under the grant-funded component of the project, a research group was organized using previously developed personal contacts, and 11 research papers were collected on regional specialization in such fields as investment and trade, energy, finance and currencies, and transportation. The cooperation of the Asian Development Bank and the ASEAN Secretariat was enlisted to arrange policy talks based on these research results in Singapore, Beijing, and New Delhi. The papers were published online (at www.neasiaforum.org) and in print journals. It is hoped that the results of this project will prove informative to discussions regarding the challenges involved in achieving the economic integration of the 16 countries involved in the East Asian Summit.