Greater Mekong Subregion Cross-Border Transport Facilitation Agreement

Greater Mekong Subregion Cross-Border Transport Facilitation Agreement
Author: Asian Development Bank
Publisher: Asian Development Bank
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2011-11-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9290924810

The Greater Mekong Subregion Cross-Border Transport Facilitation Agreement (GMS CBTA) Instruments and Drafting History is a compendium of agreements, instruments of accessions, and memoranda of understanding forged between the GMS countries and compiles in one publication all the documents that form the CBTA instrument. It reflects previous policy dialogues, including outcomes of negotiations between various government agencies from the GMS countries since the inception of the CBTA. This publication aims to strengthen stakeholders' understanding of the technical aspects of the CBTA as well as to draw attention to the crucial issues on transport and trade facilitation.

Greater Mekong Subregion Power Trade and Interconnection

Greater Mekong Subregion Power Trade and Interconnection
Author: Asian Development Bank
Publisher: Asian Development Bank
Total Pages: 125
Release: 2012-09-01
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9290928379

This publication is a historical summary of progress made in energy cooperation in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) since the beginning of the economic cooperation program in 1992. It highlights a two-pronged and phased approach to develop the GMS power market to realize the full benefits of synchronous operations---the policy and institutional framework to promote power trade and the physical interconnection to facilitate cross-border power transfers. This publication aims to help stakeholders understand GMS members' efforts in power cooperation and to draw attention to crucial issues on regional power trade.

Infrastructure for a Seamless Asia

Infrastructure for a Seamless Asia
Author: Asian Development Bank
Publisher:
Total Pages: 298
Release: 2009
Genre: Asia
ISBN:

This study examines major challenges and issues associated with developing regional infrastructure through the fostering of regional cooperation in Asia, and provides a framework for pan-Asian infrastructure cooperation. The study's long-term vision is the creation of a seamless Asia (an integrated region connected by world-class, environmentally friendly infrastructure) in terms of both "hard" (physical) and "soft" (facilitating) infrastructure. The soft part supports the development and operation of the hard component. Findings indicate that the benefits of upgrading and extending Asia's infrastructure networks are substantial, and that all countries in the region would benefit. A logistics network is only as good as its weakest link; each country in a regional supply chain gains from infrastructure improvements made in others. Improving connectivity in the region would bring Asia large welfare gains through increased market access, reduced trade costs, and more efficient energy production and use. According to the study, to achieve this Asia needs to invest approximately $8 trillion in overall national infrastructure between 2010 and 2020. In addition, Asia needs to spend approximately $290 billion on specific regional infrastructure projects in transport and energy that are already in the pipeline

China's Changing Trade and the Implications for the CLMV

China's Changing Trade and the Implications for the CLMV
Author: Mr.Koshy Mathai
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 84
Release: 2016-09-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1475531710

China’s trade patterns are evolving. While it started in light manufacturing and the assembly of more sophisticated products as part of global supply chains, China is now moving up the value chain, “onshoring” the production of higher-value-added upstream products and moving into more sophisticated downstream products as well. At the same time, with its wages rising, it has started to exit some lower-end, more labor-intensive sectors. These changes are taking place in the broader context of China’s rebalancing—away from exports and toward domestic demand, and within the latter, away from investment and toward consumption—and as a consequence, demand for some commodity imports is slowing, while consumption imports are slowly rising. The evolution of Chinese trade, investment, and consumption patterns offers opportunities and challenges to low-wage, low-income countries, including China’s neighbors in the Mekong region. Cambodia, Lao P.D.R., Myanmar, and Vietnam (the CLMV) are all open economies that are highly integrated with China. Rebalancing in China may mean less of a role for commodity exports from the region, but at the same time, the CLMV’s low labor costs suggest that manufacturing assembly for export could take off as China becomes less competitive, and as China itself demands more consumption items. Labor costs, however, are only part of the story. The CLMV will need to strengthen their infrastructure, education, governance, and trade regimes, and also run sound macro policies in order to capitalize fully on the opportunities presented by China’s transformation. With such policy efforts, the CLMV could see their trade and integration with global supply chains grow dramatically in the coming years.

Regional Cooperation and Integration in Asia and the Pacific

Regional Cooperation and Integration in Asia and the Pacific
Author: Asian Development Bank
Publisher:
Total Pages: 122
Release: 2022-01-17
Genre:
ISBN: 9789292692476

This report explores how regional cooperation and integration (RCI) can be enhanced in Asia and the Pacific to help the region build back resiliently and sustainably from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The report reflects on lessons learned from efforts to tackle the pandemic through regional cooperation and integration. It provides insights on how region-wide solidarity can be enhanced with the support of multilateral development banks in areas such as trade and investment, connectivity infrastructure, people's mobility, regional public goods, and policy cooperation. The report was jointly prepared by the ADB, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Islamic Development Bank, and the World Bank Group.