Any East Asian Politics experts out there?

[Dracon II]

Okay, I'm doing work experience at the shadow foreign minister's electorate office as part of my degree. I'm supposed to write a research essay on a topic of their choice and they want me to write an essay on the future of the proposed "East Asian Community" (ASEAN+3, India, and perhaps Australia and NZ). Can anyone offer any ideas or point me to some good resources?

[Urban Ranger]

That doesn't sound East Asian in the least.

[Dracon II]

Thanks. I'll put that in my report to the possible future Prime Minister of Australia (though one of his assistants will probably read it instead).
The core of it is East Asia (ASEAN, China, Japan, Sth Korea [i.e. ASEAN + 3]) and Australia and NZ are debatable as to whether they're Asian at all. But politically, economically speaking, these are the countries that are important in the East Asian region so it is a relevant term.

[Bosh]

You could do a massive amount of research about IMMENSE ****-storms developing all over East Asia due to disputes over very dinky islets.

[Bosh]

I believe that there's some islands that're claimed by China, Tawain, The Philippines and Vietnam. Some islands claimed by China and Japan, some by Korea and Japan etc. etc.

[Drake Tungsten]

I believe that there's some islands that're claimed by China, Tawain, The Philippines and Vietnam.

The Spratleys. Don't forget Malaysia's claim...

You also have the Paracels, which China, Taiwan and Vietnam are fighting over.

I'm supposed to write a research essay on a topic of their choice and they want me to write an essay on the future of the proposed "East Asian Community" (ASEAN+3, India, and perhaps Australia and NZ). Can anyone offer any ideas or point me to some good resources?

I'm no expert, but a possible topic could be the previous failure of Japan to exert an influence comensurate with its economic power in its relations with other Asian nations (including ASEAN), contrasted with China's more successful current efforts to court favor with the ASEAN nations and adopt a leading role in shaping the economy of Asia in the future. You can talk about where Japan went wrong, what China is doing right and what kind of effects this move towards a Sino-centric Asian economy will have for peripheral nations like India, NZ and Oz.

[Dracon II]

Yeah, was definitely going to write a section about that. The anti-Chinese sentiment in China, and the recent scrambling of the Sth Korean Air Force (that happened right?) against Japanese activities in the disputed islands are definite problems hindering possible integration of the +3 bloc.

What about Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam? Do their status as authoritarian or one party communist states pose blocks to further integration.

[Dracon II]

I'm no expert, but a possible topic could be the previous failure of Japan to exert an influence comensurate with its economic power in its relations with other Asian nations (including ASEAN), contrasted with China's more successful current efforts to court favor with the ASEAN nations and adopt a leading role in shaping the economy of Asia in the future. You can talk about where Japan went wrong, what China is doing right and what kind of effects this move towards a Sino-centric Asian economy will have for peripheral nations like India, NZ and Oz.

Well if India became involved it could well be a bipolar bloc (with China the senior partner of course).
Australia already has bilateral trade agreements with Thailand and Singapore, and is currently negotiating with China, Malaysia and ASEAN as a whole (AFTA). We have closely knit security ties with Indonesia (despite the East Timor intervention) and have just signed an agreement with them strengthening those ties and committing to honour and recognize Indonesia's territorial integrity (a significant move given how recent Australia support the secession of ET). The +3 bloc are already closely integrated with ASEAN... so I think that an East Asian community would be making official and multilateral a number of factors that are already in motion. The thing is that they are already fairly well integrated economically... but politically there is no integration. An EU style system is far off... although not inconceivable.
The response of the US could be interesting. They vetoed Japan's proposal to create an Asian Monetary Fund (in response to the currency crisis)... which ASEAN +3 sidestepped with the Chiang Mai initiative. For Australia it is a particular problem... the one thing blocking our way is our refusal to sign the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation... on the premise that it may conflict with our treaty commitments to the USA. A bit of a faux paz, to say the least... in that it implies that the parties to the treaty could become belligerent in the future. Also I think there are still trust issues (especially between Aus and Malaysia, even without Mahatir, who was famous for his denunciation of Australia). But Asia's the way the wind is blowing, and I don't think Howard will sacrifice the opportunity for the sake of not signing a piece of paper.