Asia Competitiveness Institute - World Scientific Series – serie

The Chinese economy has been playing an increasingly significant role on the global stage. This book is the sixth annual project of Asia Competitiveness Institute studying competitiveness at the sub-national level of Greater China. ACI's flagship competitiveness study not only adopts a comprehensive framework to measure competitiveness by incorporating 102 indicators under four environments and 11 sub-environments, but is also undertaken at the sub-national level to account for the considerable disparities within a large economy like Greater China. The comparative strengths and weaknesses based on the scores and rankings as well as the what-if simulation analysis can be used to formulate development strategies that are specific and of practical value for each sub-national economy and region.The Shapley methodology adopted by ACI introduces a novel approach for the assignment of weights to the various indicators that constitute competitiveness. This concept has introduced an element of objectivity in terms of the assignment of weights. The findings using the Shapley value also tend to validate the robustness of results obtained from the competitiveness studies over the past years.Moreover, the empirical research featured in this book attempts to understand the drivers of exports of Mainland China provinces, with a specific focus on real effective exchange rate movements and volatility. Nowadays with the international flows of goods and capital becoming ubiquitous and comprising an important aspect of national competitiveness, the role of exchange rate is drawing much more policy attention. In view of this, the research findings presented in this book make an important academic and policy contribution by empirically examining the relationship between exports and exchange rate.Finally, the timing of this publication makes it indispensable to include some dedicated discussions of the trade disputes between the US and China. Several topics would be discussed in this book, including China's protection on Intellectual Property Rights, its violation of World Trade Organisation rules, challenges to its economic growth, the development of its three regional megalopolises, and how to mitigate the impact and ramification of its trade war against the US. This book attempts to identify the growing concerns in the US-China trade tension and provide suggestions for China's development in the future.

Drawing on the studies by the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP), National University of Singapore (NUS), this book titled Balanced, Sustainable and Competitiveness Enhancement Study for Vietnam: A Critical Evaluation with Development Potentials, which is a joint research collaboration between the National Research Project on Improving Vietnam's Competitiveness and ACI-LKYSPP-NUS, provides a detailed assessment of the Vietnamese economy. We contend that Vietnam is at a critical juncture in its development whereby a new wave of far-reaching reforms is required to address persistent structural weaknesses and unleash the country's economic potentials. In addition, Vietnam's new growth model must tackle widening regional disparities which puts Vietnam at risk of becoming one country with two economies where the southern region of Vietnam pulls too far ahead of its northern and central counterparts. Based on our analysis, we propose a comprehensive policy roadmap for Vietnam to achieve balanced and sustainable development for enhanced competitiveness. The successful completion of this reform agenda will set Vietnam firmly on a dynamic growth path which will allow the country to catch up with the more advanced ASEAN member states by 2040.

China is emerging as one of the economic giants of the world, and is gaining international influence and global leadership that commensurate with its rise. China's performance will have far-reaching consequences on whether the economic awakening of the country, which began more than three decades ago, can become a good model to be emulated by other developing economies.This book is a collection of policy papers and data-sets for the 34 Greater China economies. With a comprehensive approach to competitiveness, the research by Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, takes into account different factors that collectively shape the ability of a nation to achieve substantial and inclusive economic development over a sustained period of time.ACI's methodology goes beyond rankings as it conducts policy simulations on how each economy can improve its competitiveness. These policy simulations are a compelling value-added proposition as they enable policymakers, industry leaders and administrators to identify relative challenges and opportunities, and to prioritise areas in crafting public policies and development strategies.

After more than three decades of rapid growth, China is now entering into the New Normal Era, which will be characterised by slower but sustainable, quality growth for several decades to come. How China will fare under the New Normal Era matters not only for itself but also for its great impact on global prosperity.While presenting as the second instalment of ACI's annual tracking of the dynamics of competitiveness among 34 Greater China economies, this volume also includes the results of the inaugural regional competitiveness analysis for five regions of Greater China. As regional imbalance in socioeconomic advancement is a serious issue China has to face up to under the New Normal Era, the results of such competitiveness analysis at provincial and regional levels offer insights for policy-makers to help address concerns associated with the regional disparity in development, and facilitate industry leaders and other stakeholders in identifying challenges and opportunities for sound decision making.

Indonesia is one of the largest economies in the world and is one of the major players in the global economy. The diversity in Indonesia's socio-economic structure from province to province and region to region warrants an in-depth inquisition at the sub-national level. This book forms part of the series of Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) annual flagship study on the competitiveness of the 34 provinces in Indonesia. Using over 100 indicators, the study covers four environments in (1) Macroeconomic Stability, (2) Government and Institutional Setting, (3) Financial, Businesses and Manpower Conditions and (4) Quality of Life and Infrastructure Development, and 12 sub-environments. This book also provides insights to the comparative strengths and weaknesses of the sub-national economies and conducts a "What-ifs" policy simulation to craft targeted policy recommendations for each province.This sixth edition will continue to elucidate the competitiveness landscape of each province's competitiveness. Additionally, this edition will also feature commentaries by the local academics on the recent developments in the 34 provinces of Indonesia. In view of the importance of international trade to the Indonesia's economy, this book also features the study of impact estimation of exchange rates on exports in Indonesia.

In the midst of turbulence in the international trade, this book titled Annual Competitiveness Analysis and Impact Estimation of Exchange Rates on Trade in Value-Added of ASEAN Economies provides a comprehensive overview on recent developments and policy initiatives in ASEAN, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses in facing the trade disruption from global events such as the US-China trade dispute, the rise of protectionist sentiments, and the expansion of China's Belt and Road Initiative.This sixth instalment features an update on ACI's annual competitiveness index for ASEAN-10 economies. Using a total of 121 indicators, the study analyses the competitiveness of the 10 ASEAN countries across four environments namely (i) Macroeconomic Stability, (ii) Government and Institutional Setting, (iii) Financial, Businesses and Manpower Conditions, and (iv) Quality of Life and Infrastructure Development.Also in this book is an in-depth coverage on trade, a key component of the ASEAN economy, and the integration of ASEAN into wider value chains. This phenomenon heavily features ongoing efforts to develop ASEAN and creates the need for a deeper understanding of the impact of these global value chains on trade in ASEAN. This book examines and provides empirical insights on the impact of real effective exchange rates on exports in ASEAN economies within the context of increased participation in global value chains. The findings have direct policy implications in the management of monetary policy.Additionally, this book provides an extensive discussion on the impact of the US-China Trade War on ASEAN, presenting the background analysis on the annals of the dispute as well as examining determining factors that may positively or negatively affect the trade and investment landscape in ASEAN. This latest edition also features a compilation of speeches and writings by academics and policymakers on key issues and development of ASEAN. It includes a speech by Minister Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance on the importance of infrastructure development for economic competitiveness. On top of that, this book also features an essay by Mr Bilahari Kausikan, Chairman of the Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore, and former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore, which addresses the impact of the US-China trade war on ASEAN.

Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP), National University of Singapore (NUS) started producing its flagship analysis of competitiveness covering the sub-national economies of India on an annual basis since 2013. A unique feature of ACI's research comes from an effort to recognise the heterogeneity of India and how the variations in the dynamics of competitiveness pan out at the sub-national level. This book entitled Annual Competitiveness Analysis and Impact Estimation of Exchange Rates on Exports from Sub-National Economies of India not only undertakes a comprehensive and robust analysis of competitiveness in India's 36 sub-national economies but also features an empirical analysis of the impact of exchange rate movements and volatility on exports from sub-national economies of India.Overall, the analysis we provide in this book relating to different dimensions of competitiveness of India's sub-national economies can not only stand up to academic scrutiny as it is grounded in rigorous methodological foundations but also remains accessible and appealing to policymakers as we offer tailored policy recommendations based on our analysis that will enable them to take appropriate policy interventions in their sub-national economies to improve their overall competitiveness.

With the launch of the ASEAN Economic Community in December 2015, ASEAN is at a crossroads once again. Having braved through various crises since its establishment in 1967, how can ASEAN leverage on increasing integration to maintain its growth momentum in the pursuit of greater competitiveness and prosperity? Combining leading-edge research methodologies with an extensive database, the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, has evaluated and tracked competitiveness for the ten ASEAN members annually since 2000. In this second edition, the competitiveness ranking and simulation study for the ASEAN-10 economies are improved and updated with 121 indicators across four environments. The Geweke causality analysis is employed to offer deeper insights into the transitional economies as well as the top performers in the region. These novel empirical frameworks are placed within the overarching strategic thrust of the ASEAN-centric Asia Economic Connectivity Vision 2030 which encompasses astute workable policies through five broad proposals for furthering regional economic cooperation in Asia.

In the tradition of the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore (NUS), our research publications make a distinctive contribution to the understanding of economic development in Asia by evaluating and tracking competitiveness for the ten ASEAN member states annually since 2000 through combining leading-edge methodologies with an extensive dataset. In this third edition, the competitiveness ranking and simulation study for ASEAN-10 are improved and updated with 121 indicators across four environments. An in-depth assessment of the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) offers important implications for future integration initiatives in the broader Asia Pacific region. Novel empirical frameworks are also applied to provide an estimation of annual agricultural Total Factor Productivity (TFP) growth in eight ASEAN economies and to shed light on the drivers of growth in the travel and tourism industry in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

This book by the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) undertakes rigorous empirical research relating to competitiveness of states and federal territories in India. The competitiveness framework employed by ACI computes the rankings for the 35 states and federal territories of India by factoring in a plethora of socio-economic development indicators that determine competitiveness. In this book, ACI's competitiveness analysis employs 75 different indicators across four different environments to capture the dynamics of competitiveness in a holistic way at the sub-national level. Further, the book produces a 'What-If' competitiveness simulation exercise to identify the specific policy areas that each state or federal territory must focus on to improve their rankings. Along with competitiveness, the book also presents a comprehensive analysis of issues relating to agricultural productivity at the sub-national level. Specifically, the book discusses the relevance and importance of raising total factor productivity in the agriculture sector in India at the state level and also brings out the extent of intra-state and intra-regional disparities prevalent in the country.

Although the successful economic transformation and reform of China since the 1970s could be regarded as a triumph in human history, China has now entered into the New Normal Era and encountered some slow-down in recent years. The perspective of China's growth under the New Normal Era is relevant for both the domestic and global economies.As the third instalment of ACI's annual tracking of the dynamics of competitiveness for Greater China, this volume includes the rankings and simulation results at both the provincial and regional levels. These offer insights for policy-makers, industry leaders and other stakeholders in identifying challenges and opportunities for sound decision-making. As an important part in determining the success of China's structural change, agricultural productivity is also discussed in detail. Quantitative research is conducted to estimate the agricultural total factor productivity at the provincial level. This provides policy recommendations to help China achieve self-sufficiency in terms of agricultural products.

This book is the only annual study that dissects Indonesia's sub-national competitiveness at both the provincial level (covering 34 provinces) and the regional level (covering six major island groups). Based on a rich dataset of 103 indicators, the study covers four environments of competitiveness: (1) Macroeconomic Stability, (2) Government and Institutional Setting, (3) Financial, Businesses, and Manpower Conditions, and (4) Quality of Life and Infrastructure Development. It also presents each province and region's comparative strengths and weaknesses, and conducts "what-if" policy simulations to propose policy suggestions.

This is the only annual study of Indonesia's sub-national competitiveness landscape of 34 Indonesian provinces that is conducted impartially and aimed towards Indonesian policymakers as well as the international audience. With 103 indicators covering four environments and 12 sub-environments of competitiveness, the study's unique methodology incorporates comparative strengths and weaknesses, and "what-if" policy simulations aimed at policy suggestions for each province. This edition also features a new structure and graphical presentation that offer investors an overview of each province's competitiveness landscape.

In the tradition of the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP), National University of Singapore (NUS), our research publications make a distinctive contribution to the literature by focusing on pertinent regional and national economic issues of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as one of our flagship projects. Combining leading-edge research methodologies with an extensive dataset, ACI has evaluated and tracked competitiveness for the 10 ASEAN members annually since 2000. In this edition, the competitiveness ranking and simulation study for the ASEAN-10 economies are improved and updated with 121 indicators across four environments.

Although the historical opening up in the 1970s has granted China decades of rapid economic growth, China now has gradually slowed down its pace and is trying to discover new growth engines. The New Normal Era characterised by a slow but sustainable economic development not only demands reform and adaption from China, but also provides the world with a new mixture of opportunities and challenges.As the fourth instalment of ACI's annual analysis of the dynamics of competitiveness for Greater China, this volume includes the rankings and simulations results at both provincial and regional level, serving as a guide for policy makers to avoid the potential pitfall of growth slowdown and for industry leaders and other stakeholders to identify the hidden opportunities and challenges. As China is now progressing in the New Normal Era with an emphasis on the transformation into an innovation-driven economy, it is important to understand the relative strength and weakness of each individual economy so as to design optimal development blueprints specific to its current situation. This book therefore dedicates one chapter to the analysis of each economy based on its income group in a hope to help the economy identify the specific determinants of growth slowdown and mitigate the problem by focusing available resources on the most relevant aspect.

This book by the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) undertakes rigorous empirical research relating to competitiveness of states and federal territories in India. The competitiveness framework employed by ACI computes the rankings for the 35 states and federal territories of India by factoring in a plethora of socio-economic development indicators that determine competitiveness. In this book, ACI's competitiveness analysis employs 75 different indicators across four different environments to capture the dynamics of competitiveness in a holistic way at the sub-national level. Further, the book produces a "What-If' competitiveness simulation exercise to identify the specific policy areas that each state or federal territory must focus on to improve their rankings.

This book produces the research findings of Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI)'s inaugural attempt to construct an Ease of Doing Business (EDB) index on Attractiveness to Investors, Business Friendliness and Competitive Policies (ABC), which is applied to 21 sub-national economies of India.

This book is the only annual study that dissects Indonesia's sub-national competitiveness at both the provincial level (covering 34 provinces) and the regional level (covering six major island groups). Based on a rich dataset of 103 indicators, the study covers four environments of competitiveness: (1) Macroeconomic Stability, (2) Government and Institutional Setting, (3) Financial, Businesses, and Manpower Conditions, and (4) Quality of Life and Infrastructure Development. It also presents each province and region's comparative strengths and weaknesses, and conducts "what-if" policy simulations to propose policy suggestions.

This is the only annual study of Indonesia's sub-national competitiveness landscape of 34 Indonesian provinces that is conducted impartially and aimed towards Indonesian policymakers as well as the international audience. With 103 indicators covering four environments and 12 sub-environments of competitiveness, the study's unique methodology incorporates comparative strengths and weaknesses, and "what-if" policy simulations aimed at policy suggestions for each province. This edition also features a new structure and graphical presentation that offer investors an overview of each province's competitiveness landscape.

Indonesia's diverse economic landscape and growing importance in the global and regional stages warrant deeper understanding of the economy at sub-national levels. This book by the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) is an update of ACI's annual study of the competitiveness landscape of 34 Indonesian provinces. With 100 indicators covering four environments and 12 sub-environments of competitiveness, the study's unique methodology incorporates comparative strengths and weaknesses, and "what-if" policy simulations aimed at policy suggestions for each province.This fifth instalment will continue to feature a structure and graphical presentation that offer investors an overview of each province's competitiveness landscape. A novel addition to this update is the chapter co-authored by academics from Indonesian provinces, which details recent developments in 34 provinces of Indonesia. This latest edition also introduces a novel approach of weights assignment in the form of Shapley values as a robustness test to our findings. Additionally, a new appendix has been included which provides a richer visual representation of each province's competitiveness profile. Finally, our study on the impact of exchange rates on foreign direct investment inflows to the provinces of Indonesia is also featured as a chapter in this book.Coupled with practical insights and policy implications, this book is a recommended read for policymakers, researchers, and the general audience interested in Indonesia's economic development.

This book entitled 2017 Annual Competitiveness Analysis and Impact of Exchange Rates on Foreign Direct Investment Inflows to Sub-National Economies of India is the fifth edition of the Asia Competitiveness Institute's flagship analysis of competitiveness covering the sub-national economies of India. The research in this study comes from an effort to recognise the heterogeneity of India and how the variations in the dynamics of competitiveness pan out at the sub-national level.Based on rigorous methodological foundations, the competitiveness study possesses several distinguishing features. First, the competitiveness index is constructed from a holistic set of 75 indicators spanning four different dimensions encompassing (1) macroeconomic stability, (2) government and institutional setting, (3) financial, business and manpower conditions, and (4) quality of life and infrastructure development, which carry equal weights. Second, the Shapley Values approach is used to construct alternative weights for the competitiveness index. Such approach measures the marginal contribution of a particular indicator used in the analysis and is embedded in solid mathematical and theoretical foundations. This serves as a robustness check to the Equal Weights approach. Third, the analysis includes a What-if competitiveness simulation exercise to identify the specific policy areas that each sub-national economy must focus on to improve its rankings.Intrinsically tied to the notion of competitiveness is the issue of maintaining a competitive exchange rate. Using real effective exchange rates as a proxy for competitiveness, this book also undertakes an empirical investigation of the impact of real exchange rates on foreign direct investment inflows at the sub-national level in India.This edition is recommended for academics, undergraduate and graduate students, and professionals interested in India's economic development.

This book is the fifth annual project of the Asia Competitiveness Institute studying competitiveness at the sub-national level of Greater China. ACI's flagship competitiveness study adopts a comprehensive framework to measure competitiveness by incorporating 102 indicators under four environments and 11 sub-environments. By undertaking the study at the sub-national level, it accounts for the considerable disparities within a large economy like Greater China. The study's unique methodology incorporates comparative strengths and weaknesses, and what-if policy simulations aimed at policy suggestions for each sub-national economy and region.A new feature of this competitiveness study introduces the concept of Shapley value for the assignment of weights to the various indicators that constitute competitiveness. This methodological innovation not only adds an element of objectivity in terms of the assignment of weights, but also validates the robustness of results obtained from the competitiveness studies over the past years.Moreover, the empirical research featured in this book attempts to understand the drivers of FDI inflows to Mainland China, with a specific focus on exchange rate movements and volatility. Nowadays with the international flows of goods and capital becoming ubiquitous and comprising an important aspect of national competitiveness, the role of exchange rate is drawing much more policy attention. In view of this, the research findings presented in this book make an important academic and policy contribution by empirically examining the relationship between FDI inflows and exchange rate.Finally, the timing of this publication makes it indispensable to include the interpretation and reconciliation of policy development of China after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China held in October 2017. With the growing prosperity of its people and the improvement of its international status, China would "realise the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation and see the people realise their aspirations for a better life." As such, China has achieved the transformation from regaining dignity to becoming prosperous and growing strong to be a great modern socialist country visualised by President Xi Jinping. This book attempts to investigate the vision of "growing strong to be a great modern socialist country" from different aspects.

This book titled 2017 Annual Competitiveness Analysis and Impact of Exchange Rates on Foreign Direct Investment Inflows to ASEAN Economies recount the development experience of ASEAN over the past 50 years, describe the long-term mega-trends which will shape ASEAN's development trajectory, and propose a development vision with actionable policy recommendations for ASEAN to become the fourth-largest economy in the world by 2030.Into its fifth edition, the book updates the annual economic competitive analysis for ASEAN-10 conducted by the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI). It also introduces an innovation to the institute's methodological framework which is the use of Shapley values to come up with objective weights for indicators, sub-environments and environments in the competitiveness index. This methodological innovation not only adds an element of objectivity in terms of the assignment of weights, but also validates the robustness of results obtained from the competitiveness studies over the past years.Recognising the importance of foreign direct investment (FDI) to growth and development in the region, the book also presents an empirical investigation of the drivers of FDI inflows, with specific focus on the effects of exchange rate and its volatility. For a group of economies looking to leverage on FDI and trade to transform themselves into the fourth-largest economy in the world, it is important for ASEAN to achieve high external competitiveness, especially in terms of the member states' real effective exchange rates (REER). These research findings make important academic and policy contributions by teasing out the relationship between REER levels, volatility and FDI in the ASEAN context.Finally, the book collates speeches by academics and policy-makers on issues of key interests to the future development of ASEAN. It contains the reflection on the ASEAN Charter by Professor Tommy Koh, Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore. Moreover, the discussions on the One Belt One Road initiative and its implication for the region by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law of Singapore; and Professor Liew Mun Leong, Chairman of Surbana Jurong and Changi Airport Group as well as Provost Chair and Professor of NUS make this book a valuable compendium for policy-makers, thinkers, and anyone who has an interest in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific.

Indonesia is on the cusp of transformative take-off, poised to become a major economic power not just in Asia, but also on the global-stage. This book is a pioneering attempt in comprehensively assessing all attributes, conditions and policies for 33 Indonesian provinces and Indonesia's trajectory as an emerging middle power. It contains papers and data-sets presented in July 2012, at ACI's signature Annual Conference. The information that was shared at the conference and presented in the book posit a future where tens of millions of Indonesians will be lifted out of poverty to become a self-sustaining middle-class, which will in turn drive the country into a global leadership role in the 21st century. It is a compelling value-added proposition for policy simulations enabling policy-makers to identify relative weaknesses, strengths, threats and opportunities of individual 33 provinces, guiding them to prioritise areas in crafting policies and development strategies.

India is emerging as one of the economic giants of the world, and is gaining international influence and global leadership as the world's largest democracy. India's performance will have far-reaching consequences on whether the economic awakening of the country, which began more than two decades ago, can become a good model to be emulated by other developing economies.This book is a collection of policy papers and data-sets for the 35 states and federal territories of India. With a comprehensive approach to competitiveness, the research done by Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore takes into account different factors that collectively shape the ability of a nation to achieve substantial and inclusive economic development over a sustained period of time.ACI's methodology goes beyond rankings to conduct policy simulations on how each state or federal territory can improve its competitiveness. These policy simulations are a compelling value-added proposition enabling policymakers, industry leaders and administrators to identify relative challenges and opportunities, and to prioritise areas when crafting policies and development strategies.

This book is a world-class report by the Asian Competitiveness Institute (ACI), updated annually to analyse Indonesia's competitiveness at both the 33 provincial levels and six regional groupings based on the central government's Master Plan for Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia's Economic Development (MP3EI). With 104 indicators covering four environments, the study's unique methodology incorporates comparative strengths and weaknesses as well as applies Geweke causality analysis to a subset of indicators. Apart from scores and rankings, what-if policy simulations offer various provinces practical prescriptions to improve overall competitiveness to accelerate economic growth and development in a balanced, fair and sustainable way. Such qualitative and quantitative analyses in collaboration with various stakeholders generates an exciting pathway for Indonesia to attain its rightful place in both the Asian region and global contexts.

This book by the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) presents the inaugural regional competitiveness analysis for the five regions of India as a basis for the Master Plan on Strategic Regional Economic Development using regional classifications as defined by the Confederation of Indian Industry. Potential strategic clusters are identified for intra-regional collaboration given each region's unique strengths and resource endowments to facilitate accelerated economic growth and development which is balanced, fair and sustainable. The book also presents an update of ACI's annual competitiveness analysis of India's 35 states and federal territories. States and federal territories are ranked by ACI's comprehensive methodology by employing 75 indicators across four environments. Going beyond the rankings, the what-if policy simulations offer states and federal territories relevant policy prescriptions based on their respective strengths and weaknesses. A subset of the competitiveness indicators are then utilised for Geweke Causality Analysis to highlight the impact of strong leadership on economic development in the states of Bihar and Tamil Nadu.