Routledge Special Economic Zones in Asian Market Economies (Routledge Studies in the Growth Economies of Asia)

Special Economic Zones (SEZs) have proliferated rapidly during the past decade and are set to multiply in the next – embracing not only Asia and Europe but also Africa and the Americas. This book is the first to examine the Asian experience of SEZs in China, India, Malaysia and the Philippines. SEZs are usually clearly defined geographic areas in which national, provincial or local governments use policy tools (such as tax holidays; improved infrastructure; less onerous or differentiated regulations and incentives other than those generally available in the rest of the country) to attract and promote private - usually foreign - investment from enterprises which commit to create employment and to export their products or services, and generating foreign currency for the host country. SEZs have been especially successful in bringing about economic development in Asia, especially in China. This book examines the origins, nature and status of special economic zones in Asia, together with the current trends connected with them, and the challenges they currently face. Although the World Trade Organisation cast doubts in 1995 on the future of special economic zones as a viable policy tool in the development agenda, special economic zones continue to be used, and favoured, as a way of encouraging foreign investment and economic development, with for example India, trying to emulate China, reincorporating special economic zones into its development policy. This book provides regional case studies of SEZs in Asian market economies to analyse the extent to which these zones serve the changing needs of Asian development. About the Author Connie Carter is Professor of Law at Royal Roads University and Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Victoria, both in Victoria, BC, Canada; and also a Barrister of Lincolns Inn, London.  Her recent publications include Law and Economic Development in Singapore and Fighting Fakes in China: Legal Protection of Trademarks & Brands in the PRC. Andrew Harding is currently a member of the Faculty of Law, University of Victoria, BC, Canada, where he holds the Chair in Asia-Pacific Legal Relations and is Director of the Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives (CAPI). He is co-editor of New Courts in Asia, and Constitutional Courts: a Comparative Study.