ASEAN and AEC: Progress and Challenges

ASEAN RISING: ASEAN and AEC Beyond 2015 puts together ideas, thoughts and papers from more than 30 experts and specialists in the region on various areas relating to ASEAN and AEC beyond 2015. It discusses the challenges for ASEAN and AEC, how to face them and how ASEAN should move forward towards AEC 2015 and beyond. ASEAN is predicted to be highly populated by 2030, with about 720 million people, making the region a huge market. It is likely that by 2030, three or four ASEAN Member States (AMSs) are high income countries, two to four AMSs would become upper middle income countries, and three to four rising towards becoming upper middle income countries themselves. The AMSs should maintain the momentum of reforms, institutional development, and community building towards an integrated and highly contestable ASEAN, competitive and dynamic ASEAN, inclusive and resilient ASEAN, and a global ASEAN. This then translates into an ASEAN RISING indeed. ASEAN RISING: ASEAN and AEC Beyond 2015 is ERIA's latest endeavour to support ASEAN and the regional integration efforts in ASEAN and East Asia. The recommendations made in this project are hoped to help the region move forward confidently into 2015 and beyond.