{"title":"The Impacts of the US-China Trade War on ASEAN Export Performance to the US: An Event-Study Analysis","authors":"Aufa Doarest, Maria Monica Wihardja","doi":"10.1002/app5.70062","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/app5.70062","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The high industrial inputs reliance on China while having the US as its indispensable export market and key investor as well as source of technology transfers puts Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in an increasingly precarious situation as the US-China trade war intensifies. This paper studies the extent to which various US tariff hikes on Chinese goods imposed under Section 301 of the US Trade Acts of 1974 introduced in 2018, ranging from semiconductor to green technology, have impacted good exports from Southeast Asia to the US. Using an event-study method, we show that the enactment of the Section 301 tariffs has increased exports of tariff-related products relative to exports of non-tariff-related products from ASEAN-7 countries (ASEAN minus Lao PDR, Myanmar and Brunei Darussalam) to the US. Country level analyses show that this increase is significant for Cambodia and Thailand but not for other ASEAN-7 countries analysed.</p>","PeriodicalId":45839,"journal":{"name":"Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies","volume":"13 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/app5.70062","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148098811","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Global Semiconductor Supply Chain Risks: Challenges and Strategic Resilience","authors":"Hyung-gon Jeong","doi":"10.1002/app5.70046","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/app5.70046","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study assesses the impact of intensifying U.S.–China geopolitical tensions on the global semiconductor supply chain. To this end, the study employs the Trade Specialization Index (TSI) and the Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage (RSCA) index to evaluate trade-based competitiveness and market positioning across major semiconductor segments, including memory chips, system semiconductors, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The findings suggest that U.S. sanctions have fragmented the supply chain by restricting Chinaʼs access to advanced semiconductor manufacturing technologies. While China has increased its presence in lower-end production, it remains heavily dependent on imports for high-end technologies, hindering its self-reliance in advanced manufacturing. The study also highlights the shift of semiconductor production to Southeast Asia, reshaping the global landscape. The paper concludes with policy recommendations aimed at strengthening supply chain resilience, fostering diversification, and enhancing multilateral cooperation to mitigate the risks posed by geopolitical fragmentation.</p>","PeriodicalId":45839,"journal":{"name":"Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies","volume":"13 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/app5.70046","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148099312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Does Japanʼs Aid Promote the Economic Growth of Pacific Island Countries?","authors":"Wesley Steve Aru","doi":"10.1002/app5.70083","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/app5.70083","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Pacific Island countries (PICs) are among the worldʼs most aid-dependent nations. This study examines relations between Japanʼs aid and the economic growth of 13 PICs during 2000–2023. After evaluating overall effects of Japanʼs aid, specific types are analysed: economic, social, production, and multi-sector aid. Findings reveal that effects of Japanʼs total aid and social aid on growth are nonlinear, indicating increasing returns. This nonlinearity primarily reflects Japanʼs counter-cyclical granting of aid to the PICs. Further results confirm that Japanese total aid, including aid of all types, is more effective at mitigating adverse effects of natural disasters on the economic growth of PICs. This effectiveness suggests that Japanese aid is growth-enhancing when responding to recipient needs. No evidence indicates that Japanese aid influences growth under strong institutional quality. Therefore, the PICs must continue to implement appropriate institutional reforms to ensure the wise use of nationsʼ resources, including donor funding.</p>","PeriodicalId":45839,"journal":{"name":"Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies","volume":"13 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/app5.70083","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148099630","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alice Beban, Apisom Intralawan, Bunny Yorth, Hue Le, Somvilay Chanthalounnavong, Sango Mahanty, Longly Vouch, Phalluy Vy
{"title":"The Roles of Academics in Environmental Struggles Along the Mekong: Engaged Scholarship Under Political Restriction","authors":"Alice Beban, Apisom Intralawan, Bunny Yorth, Hue Le, Somvilay Chanthalounnavong, Sango Mahanty, Longly Vouch, Phalluy Vy","doi":"10.1002/app5.70071","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/app5.70071","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Academics in the Mekong region play a crucial role in producing research that supports environmental movements, challenges dominant models of development, and informs policy discussions. However, our ability to conduct research on environmental issues is constrained by government restrictions, institutional barriers, and shifting political climates. This article synthesises discussions from a recent collaborative workshop that examined the roles of academics in environmental struggles along the Mekong. We examine the political and institutional constraints facing academics, the strategies used to navigate these challenges, and the possibilities for protecting and expanding academic roles in environmental struggles.</p>","PeriodicalId":45839,"journal":{"name":"Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies","volume":"13 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/app5.70071","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147715109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Seasonal Worker Programs: A Four-Country Comparison","authors":"Stephen Howes","doi":"10.1002/app5.70079","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/app5.70079","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This paper compares the seasonal worker programs of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. All four programs have experienced rapid growth over the last decade, and they have all become significant parts of their countriesʼ agricultural labour forces. But they have also all become more controversial over time, with accusations growing that these programs are both intrinsically and in practice exploitative. Since the programs have become both bigger and more controversial, not surprisingly they have all become more tightly regulated to better protect workers. What impact this greater level of regulation will have on scheme growth remains to be seen, but there is a risk that greater regulation will lead to lower or even negative growth. The article concludes with several recommendations drawn from the authors of the country studies in this special collection for ways to protect workers while containing costs to employers.</p>","PeriodicalId":45839,"journal":{"name":"Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies","volume":"13 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/app5.70079","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147714902","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}