Southeast Asia's Economic Future and What It Means for America

Date:	April 14, 2008
Time:	2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Speaker(s):	Barbara Weisel Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific Michael Plummer Resident Professor of Economics, The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies James Wallar Principal Associate, Nathan Associates, Inc. Richard Cronin Senior Associate, The Henry L. Stimson Center
Host(s):	Walter Lohman Director, Asian Studies Center, The Heritage Foundation
Details:
Location: The Heritage Foundation's Allison Auditorium The Asian economy is a cauldron of competition. The rise of China – and to a lesser extent India – presents the more than 500 million people living in Southeast Asia a major opportunity. It also, however, represents an extraordinary competitive challenge. Ten years ago, in an effort to address this challenge, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) launched a vision to create an integrated, liberal market encompassing the strengths of its constituent members: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, and Laos. How is Southeast Asia doing in its effort to create a competitive economy of scale? What else can be done? And what does its success or failure mean for America?