Bridging the ASEAN Developmental Divide: Challenges and Prospects

This special issue of ASEAN Economic Bulletin zeroes in on the developmental divide among ASEAN member states and analyses how its various forms and aspects pose a challenge to the creation of an ASEAN Economic Community. The articles in this volume seek to assess the state of the developmental divide among ASEAN member countries from the perspective of its middle- and lower-income members. This introductory chapter provides a backdrop to the two regional and six country papers that follow. The article presents a brief overview of the developmental divide and examines some of its indicators. The article then considers the EU experience and attempts to draw some lessons for ASEAN. Finally, the article previews the chapters ahead.