New Development Patterns in Asia — Securing Economic Growth, Social Justice, Healthy Environment, Sustainable Human Development and Good Governance in the 21st Century

Abstract

Since the early 1980s the governments of most countries in Asia, under increasing pressure caused by economic globalisation, focused their national priorities on ensuring macroeconomic stability and growth by accelerating economic reforms, including deregulation, shifting to free market economies, and trade/investment liberalisation. They did this far more aggressively than their previous governments had done during the 1960s and 1970s. Major fiscal, financial and corporate reforms, together with public administration and political reforms, have been introduced to varying degrees, with varying success. Economic growth and globalisation, however, have not succeeded in restraining the on-going deterioration of conditions such as income distribution, poverty, environment and human development issues and governance.