Economics

Economic development and growth are vital for the establishment of a peaceful, prosperous, and just Asia-Pacific community. Through research and dialogue, scholars in the East-West Center's  Economics study area investigate:

• China’s Indigenous Innovation Policy and the Impact on US-China Economic Relations
• Innovation Capabilities and Strategies of China-Based High-Tech Firms
• Globalization of Science and Technology in Information and Communication Industries
• Energy Markets in the Asia-Pacific Region
• Energy Security Across Asia and the Pacific
• Strategic Framework for Energy Security in APEC
• Energy Economics in China
• East Asian Trade Interdependence
• Economic Policy Issues: Joint Project with the Korea Development Institute

Research at the East-West Center examines technology innovation in China, including both the Chinese government's innovation policies and the innovation capabilities and strategies of China-based high-tech firms. One objective is to assess the implications of China’s innovation push for the United States. Interviews with key players are used to examine Chinese policies on intellectual property rights, government procurement, and the use of standardization as a tool of innovation policy. Collaborative studies, led by Senior Fellow Dieter Ernst, focus on the policy challenges of innovation offshoring for Asia’s leading export economies.

Other research provides timely analysis of energy markets in the Asia Pacific region, with special emphasis on oil and natural gas. This analysis is of critical interest to businesses, government agencies, and others concerned with regional energy markets. Collaborative research is led by Senior Fellows Fereidun Fesharaki and Kang Wu. The emphasis is on major energy producers and consumers in Asia, with a particular emphasis on energy security in Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies. Energy research at the East-West Center also includes a special focus on economic and policy issues related to energy development in China.

Another collaborative project, led by Non-resident Senior Fellows Peter Petri and Michael Plummer, focuses on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, currently under negotiation among the United States and eight other countries. This is an ambitious effort to sustain and invigorate America's economic linkages with the dynamic economies of the Asia Pacific region. Combined with other emerging trade agreements in the region, the TPP could pave the way for a Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP), with considerable economic benefits.

Research Staff

Dieter Ernst—Senior Fellow
Fereidun Fesharaki—Senior Fellow
Tomoko Hosoe—Project Specialist
Young Hoon Kim—Senior Fellow
Marcus Noland—Non-resident Senior Fellow
Michael Plummer—Non-resident Senior Fellow
Peter Petri—Non-resident Senior Fellow
Kang Wu—Senior Fellow