Deep and shallow integration in Asia: Towards a holistic account

In the 1970s, global trade splintered, with diversification of trade by developing countries and the emergence of a new trade bloc in East and South-East (E&SE) Asia. The Asian giants, China and India, both emerge into the world economy, but with different trade patterns. While expanding trade in global markets, China is also integrating with the regional trading bloc in E&SE Asia, while no comparable bloc has emerged in South Asia. How can these developments best be understood in theoretical and policy terms? Existing theoretical paradigms are too narrow, and it is necessary to develop holistic approaches which combine various levels of analysis (macro, meso and micro) and various disciplines (e.g. economics, geography, production organisation, political science and international relations). Three different sets of analyses are offered in the building of this holistic approach: macroeconomic trade analyses, a focus on geographical clustering and analysis of global value