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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><I><FONT face="Times New Roman">Dear Sirs and Madams,</FONT></I></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><I><FONT face="Times New Roman">The economic integration of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on">East Asia</st1:place> has advanced a lot over the past ten years. On the one hand, this concerns the de facto-integration of product markets and increasingly also of factor markets. On the other hand, it concerns also the expanding level of institutional interdependence. However, not all approaches to integration - bilateral agreements like the Korea-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, multilateral approaches like ASEAN plus Three (China, Japan, Korea) or supra-regional appendages like ASEM or APEC – can be reconciled with each other. The “Spaghetti-bowl effect” seems to lead to a system of trade disparity through agreements based on preferences. From a political point of view, facing hot spots like <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">North Korea</st1:place></st1:country-region>, integration becomes more and more important as well. The Seoul ASEM Institute for International Relations and Hanns Seidel Foundation would like to accompany the process of economic integration in <st1:place w:st="on">East Asia</st1:place> with a discussion forum, open for scholars and practitioners likewise. With immediate effect you can find news, articles, Calls for Papers, academic papers etc. on East Asian Integration on our website </FONT><A title=http://www.asianintegration.org/ href="http://www.asianintegration.org/"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#0000ff>www.asianintegration.org</FONT></A><FONT face="Times New Roman">. </FONT></I></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><I><FONT face="Times New Roman">The website itself contains:</FONT></I></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><I><FONT face="Times New Roman">- news & articles</FONT></I></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><I><FONT face="Times New Roman">- book reviews </FONT></I></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><I><FONT face="Times New Roman">- link collection to important organizations and institutions </FONT></I></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><I><FONT face="Times New Roman">and most of all</FONT></I></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><I><FONT face="Times New Roman">- discussion list</FONT></I></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><I><FONT face="Times New Roman">When you participate on this discussion list you will also be able to read and write news in the discussion list integrated in the website. We would like to invite everybody who is interested in East Asian integration to visit our new homepage. The East Asian Discussion List is also still looking for volunteers who would help as administrators or advisor to fill this new initiative with life! <o:p></o:p></FONT></I></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><I><FONT face="Times New Roman">Also going out is a call for reviews as well as articles dealing with the East Asian Integration. We will be happy to add you to the admin or moderation roster, just get in contact with us.</FONT></I></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><I><FONT face="Times New Roman">We also hope that this platform is more than just a meeting point on the internet but rather a community. We're are looking forward to hear from you.</FONT></I></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><I><FONT face="Times New Roman">Sincerely</FONT></I></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Dr. Bernhard Seliger</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Resident Representative</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Dong-Hun Lee</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Administrator</FONT></P><BR> </DIV>
<P>Dr. Bernhard Seliger</P>
<P>Hanns Seidel Stiftung - Seoul Office</P>
<P>Room 501, Soo Young Bldg., 64-1, Hannam 1 Dong, Yongsan-gu</P>
<P>Seoul, Republic of Korea</P>
<P>Tel.+ 82 2 790 5344</P>
<P>Fax. + 82 2 790 5346</P>
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