The Present Regional Economic Cooperation in Northeast Asia and the Prospect

Abstract

During the economic globalization process in world, the trend of regional economic cooperation becomes more prominent. Along with China’s entry into WTO, Asia becomes the center of world economic development at the new century. East Asia is the principal part of Asian economic development. And the hotspot of East Asia economic development is Northeast Asia that centers on China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. Economies of counties in Northeast Asia are complement and have great potentials and spaces for cooperation. Driven by different parties, the regional economic cooperation in Northeast Asia, represented by the Tumen River International Cooperation Development Project, achieves many important progresses at present. An original integration appears step by step. Surely, some factors, including real economic basis and politics, restrict the Northeast Asia cooperation. Along with the improvement of international politics environment, the development of economic globalization, the enhancement of economic strengths of countries in Northeast Asia, and the strengthen of mutual economic relationships, it is necessary and probable in practice to construct a regional integration organization that centers on Northeast Asia free trade zone. Anyway, the real Northeast Asia regional economic integration organization is still an illusion today.