ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book considers the theme of regional economic integration in the context of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. It addresses the establishment of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) in the 1990s. The book looks at the reasons for the formation of AFTA and discusses the relevance of integration theorizing considering the case at hand. It discusses intra-regional division of labour and industrial change in East Asia, focusing on the case of the emerging high-technology interaction between Korea and Taiwan. The book focuses on the dynamics of firm and industry behaviour as well as of industrial complexes, related to competitiveness and changing comparative advantage, and related pressures of restructuring. It explores the changing local production systems in Singapore, focusing on a very dynamic industry branch, the production of audio equipment.
