AEC will be a welcome economic catalyst

ASEAN has far greater economic potential when viewed as a whole rather than the sum of its parts. As a region, Asean trade is on course to double to US$2.8 trillion by 2025, fuelling a doubling of its middle class to 120 million. This will add the equivalent of "two Britains" to world consumption - a consumer spurt mirroring China's between 2000 and 2010. The question is: How can the nations of South-east Asia pull together to turn impressive projections into a future reality?

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