The role of U.S. Foreign Investment in ASEAN Industrial Co-operation.

The main focus of this paper is the regional impact of U.S.-ASEAN investment relations: Does U.S. investment complement ASEAN's regional industrial cooperation? Generally, the relationship is asymmetrical since U.S. investment is important for ASEAN countries, but ASEAN is not as important for U.S. investors. Further, Japan's role as a market and host/source of investment places the United States and ASEAN in a triangular relationship. The paper also looks at existing patterns of U.S. investment in five ASEAN countries. Finally, there is analysis of U.S investors' role in three techniques of ASEAN co-operation: ASEAN Industrial Projects (AIP), ASEAN Industrial Complementation (AIC), and ASEAN Industrial Joint Ventures (AHV). The paper concludes that past experience and an international environment of continued economic friction and uncertainty are likely to make ASEAN industrial co-operation of less importance than other U.S.-ASEAN economic relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]