Li Baoqin, School of Economics

Abstract: According to the different scopes of the spillover of public goods, public goods are generally divided into domestic public goods and international public goods, and international public goods can be further subdivided into global international public goods and regional international public goods, which can be referred to simply as “global public goods” and “regional public goods”. As domestic public products and global public goods “intermediates” - regional public products, with the evolution of international relations theory development and global wave of regional integration practice, has become a new perspective or new tools to analyze regional cooperation in political economy, and is widely applied to the study of regional cooperation and integration problems.

This paper discusses the issue of regional integration in Central Asia from the perspective of regional public goods, and establishes the theory of public goods and regional integration under an analytical framework. This paper holds that the process of regional economic integration is essentially a problem of supply of regional public good sunder the constraints of cost and benefit. Integration is only a means, and its ultimate goal is to realize effective supply and share of regional public goods among member sunder the constraints of cost and benefit. Following this logic, the measurement of regional economic integration can be transformed into the measurement of regional public goods supply. We can use the cost-benefit tool of the supply of regional public goods to analyze the constraining and driving factors of regional economic integration. At the same time, the spillover of public goods also provide the rational explanations for the intervention and participation of foreign powers in the supply of public goods.

Based on this framework, this paper first gives a detailed factual description of the process of regional integration in Central Asia, and finds that compared with trans-regional integration, the process of intra-regional integration in Central Asia is not smooth. Secondly, based on the analysis of Central Asian countries’ demand for regional public goods, this paper measures the supply situation of public goods in Central Asia from three dimensions: supply mechanism, supply scope and supply utility. Finally, from the perspective of regional public goods, this paper uses cost-benefit tools, externality tools and spatial econometric methods to expatiate on the influencing factors of regional economic integration in Central Asia.

The main research contents of this paper are as follows:

The first chapter is “introduction”. In this chapter, the background and significance of the topic selection are expounded. Secondly, a systematic literature review is made on the studies of regional integration, regional integration in Central Asia, regional public goods and regional public goods in Central Asia. Finally, the research method, main content, structure arrangement and innovation of the paper are explained.

The second chapter is “related concepts and theoretical explanations of regional economic integration”. On the basis of defining the relevant concepts of “Central Asia”, “Regional Economic Integration” and “Regional Economic Cooperation”, this paper makes a theoretical combing of regional economic integration from different disciplines of international economics, international politics and international political economy.

The third chapter is “regional public goods and regional integration: theoretical exploration and analytical framework”. This chapter first sorts out the basic and core issues of regional public products. Secondly, regional integration and public goods supply are combined to establish the research framework of this paper.

The fourth chapter is “the present situation and development course of regional economic integration in Central Asia”. It consists of three parts: First, it sorts out the different levels of integration organizations that Central Asian countries participate in or lead. Second, the development process of regional economic integration in Central Asia is divided. The third is a brief review of the regional economic integration of Central Asia.

The fifth chapter is “Measures of regional economic integration in Central Asia”. According to the analysis of the third chapter, the measurement of regional economic integration can be transformed into the measurement of the supply of regional public goods, which can be measured from three dimensions of supply mechanism, supply scope and supply utility of regional public goods.

The sixth chapter is “constraining and driving forces of regional economic integration in Central Asia”. This chapter uses different tools or methods to analyze the constraining and driving forces of regional economic integration in Central Asia. First the method of economic cost-benefit analysis is used, then the method of externality is used, and finally the method of spatial econometric is used.

Chapter seven is “conclusion and revelation”. Abstract and summarize the viewpoints of this paper, and believe that from the perspective of regional public goods and the use of cost-benefit analysis tools, externality tools and spatial econometric methods, we can fully grasp the process of regional economic integration in Central Asia, understand its constraints and driving fact.

Read the full article here:   区域公共产品供给与中亚经济一体化研究.pdf