The Evolving Development Landscape of Asia and Pacific: The International Economics of Strategic Interdependence
Published in Anand, Rahul, Helbling, Thomas, and Srinivisan, Krishna (eds.) Shaping the Future of Asia, IMF, 2026
Abstract: The Asia and Pacific region’s remarkable developmental success has been built in part on mutual gains generated by cross-border trade in goods and services. However, today’s geostrategic competition and the fraying of multilateralism have created new structural constraints. The emerging international economics of strategic interdependence challenges traditional thought on trade openness, economic efficiency, and the benefits of price-taking and norm-abiding behavior, As a result, the region’s small states must reconsider strategies based on their simply accepting prices and norms. The new order they build can comprise continually shifting, loosely structured, open alliances rather than be based on sweeping treaties or grand vision. Members of such alliances can cooperate whenever their interests align. Hegemonic leadership is optional, and the alliances need only to be multilateral enough.
Published - forthcoming // Local PDF
Recommended citation: Quah, Danny. 2026. "The Evolving Development Landscape of Asia and Pacific: The International Economics of Strategic Interdependence", Ch. 12, pp. 00-00 in Rahul Anand, Thomas Helbling, and Krishna Srinivasan (eds.) Shaping the Future of Asia. Washington DC: IMF
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