Today, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is in transition Expansion from seven to ten members with the addition of Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia (forthcoming) will likely lead to growing pains focused primarily on the different stages of development of the new members relative to the old members Furthermore, the Asian financial ожмзн crisis is testing the organization's mettle This volume of essays by seven Japanese economists and political scientists examines the long-term prospects ofthe ASEAN-10 economies and their relations with major trading partners It also considers the meaning for Southeast Asia of the realization of the ASEAN-10 which for the first time will unite the entire region under one institution International and domestic politics are important factors in considering ASEAN's identity as a regional institution Chapters deal with intra- and extraregional relations once the ASEAN-10 is realized; future relations between APEC and ASEAN; the prospects for intraregional economic interdependence and the impact on Japan; foreign direct investment and intraregional economic cooperation; changes in international financial flows among ASEAN countries; and the role of nonstate actors in ASEAN-10 community-building The case of Vietnam's industrialization and development is examined in the context of its membership in the ASEAN-10 The currency crises and financial instability that have spread throughout East Asia are considered along with other aspects of ASEAN and its changingrole in the global picture.  Lhotse LightISBN 4889070338.