Buddhist Economic Area

Syllabus of the Subject: Economic Area of the Buddhist Civilisation.

The subject “Economic Area of the Buddhist Civilisation” consists of eight parts:

1. Main features of the Economic Area of the Buddhist Civilisation
2. Buddhism and the Buddhist Economic Area
3. Economic Profile of the Buddhist Countries
4. Buddhist business people
5. Asian economic integration of the Buddhist Civilisation (Economic Organisations, Trade Agreements)
6. The Buddhist Civilisation and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
7. Interactions of the Buddhist Civilisation with other civilisations
8. Economic institutions and trade agreements related to the Buddhist Civilisation

The objectives of the subject “Economic Area of the Buddhist Civilisation”:

1. To identify the characteristics of the Economic Area of the Buddhist Civilisation
2. To analyse the influence of Buddhism on the Buddhist Economic Area
3. To know the economic profile of the Buddhist Countries
4. To analyse the profile of Buddhist Business People
5. To understand the process of economic integration of the Buddhist Civilisation
6. To explore the economic relations of the Buddhist Civilisation with other civilisations (Western, Sinic, Hindu, Islamic, African)
7. To analyse the main economic organisations related to the Buddhist Economic Area

Related Subjects to “Economic Area of the Buddhist Civilisation.

1- Introduction to Buddhism and the Economic Area of the Buddhist Civilisation.

1. Buddhism
2. Principles of Buddhist Ethics
3. Two Buddhist leaders of Peace: Aung San Suu Kyi and the Dalai Lama
4. Buddhism in the World
   1. Buddhism in the West

2- Economic Area of the Buddhist Civilisation. Economic Profile of the Buddhist Countries.

1. Mahayana Economic Area: China, South Korea, Japan (Zen), Vietnam, Singapore, and Taiwan
2. Theravada Economic Area: Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, and Thailand
3. Vajrayana (Lamaist) Economic Area: Bhutan, China (Southwest), Tibet, and Mongolia

3- Buddhist Business People.

1. Kazuo Inamori (Japan)
2. Kith Meng (Cambodia)
3. Padma Jyoti (Nepal)
4. Lee Kun-hee (Korea)
5. Thaksin Shinawatra (Thailand)
6. Chang Yung-fa (Taiwan)

4- Asian Economic Integration of the Buddhist Civilisation (Economic Organisations, Trade Agreements)

1. Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam)
2. Mekong River Commission (Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam)
3. Greater Mekong Subregion (Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam)
4. Singapore-Japan FTA
5. Singapore-Korea FTA
6. China-Singapore FTA
7. China-Taiwan Economic Cooperation Agreement
8. Laos-Thailand Trade Agreement

5- The Buddhist Civilisation and the ASEAN

Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN):

1. ASEAN Free-Trade Area (AFTA)
2. ASEAN Economic Community
3. Agreements and free-trade areas of the ASEAN with the Countries of the Buddhist Civilisation: Japan, South Korea, and China
4. Agreements and free-trade areas of the ASEAN with the other civilisations:
   1. Islamic Civilisation: Pakistan. Thailand is a member of the ASEAN Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) (with Indonesia and Malaysia)
   2. Western Civilisation: Canada, European Union, United States, and Australia-New Zealand
   3. Hindu Civilisation: India
   4. Orthodox Civilisation: Russia

6- Interactions of the Buddhist Civilisation with the other civilisations.

1. With the Western Christian Civilisation
   1. With the European Economic Area:
      1. The European Union has trade agreements with South Korea and China. Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Mongolia (SPG+) are beneficiaries of the EU's Generalised System of Preferences (GSP)
      2. The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) has free trade agreements (FTA) with South Korea and Singapore
   2. With the American Economic Area
      1. North American Economic Area: the United States has trade agreements with South Korea and Singapore
      2. Latin American Economic Area. Buddhist Countries have Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with the following Latin American Countries:
         1. China: Chile, Peru, Costa Rica, Andean Community
         2. South Korea: Chile, Peru
         3. Japan: Chile, Mexico
         4. Singapore: Panama, Peru
         5. Taiwan: Honduras-El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, and Guatemala
      3. The Caribbean Economic Area. No Buddhist country has Trade Agreements with the Caribbean Countries
   3. With the Oceania Economic Area: Singapore-Australia. New Zealand has free trade agreements (FTA) with China, Singapore, and Thailand
2. With the African Civilisation
   1. Japan: Tokyo International Conference on the African Development
   2. Korea: Africa-Korea Partnership
   3. China: Africa-China Forum. Africa-BRICS Cooperation (China is a BRICS Country)
   4. All the Buddhist Countries are members of the Africa-Asia Strategic Partnership (NAASP)
3. With the Hindu Civilisation: India has Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Thailand
4. FTAs with the Islamic Civilisation: Pakistan-Sri Lanka, China-Pakistan
5. Inter-civilisation agreements
   1. China, Korea, Laos, and Sri Lanka: The Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA)
   2. China, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, and Vietnam: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
   3. Singapore and Japan: Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (TPP)
   4. Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand: Indian-Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
   5. Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Bhutan: Bay of Bengal Initiative (BIMSTEC)
   6. Bhutan and Sri Lanka: South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC)
   7. Bhutan, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka: Asian Clearing Union (ACU)
   8. China and Mongolia: Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Programme
   9. China is a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
   10. Vietnam has a Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU)

* This subject only explores the major Trade Agreements related to the Buddhist Civilisation.

7- Economic Organisations related to the Buddhist Civilisation.

1. Asia-Europe Economic Meeting (ASEM)
2. Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PEEC)
3. Boao Forum for Asia
4. Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD)
5. Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC)
6. Asia-Middle East Dialogue (AMED)
7. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
8. Asian Development Bank (ADB)
9. Colombo Plan
10. United Nations (UN)
11. International Monetary Fund (IMF)
12. World Trade Organisation (WTO)

Notes:

1. The Chinese economic profile is analysed on the module on the Sinic Civilisation
2. Other countries with Buddhist minorities (not included in this analysis) are Nepal (Mahayana) and India (mostly Theravada and Lamaist)
3. In this subject, is presented only a summary of Buddhism, Buddhist Business People, regional economic organisations related to Buddhism. The detailed analysis of each one is carried out on the similar subject

Subject Summary - The Economic Area of the Buddhist Civilisation.

While not everyone agrees on the existence of an actual Buddhist Civilisation; we consider the existence (or the emergence) of the Buddhist Civilisation, divided into three groups:

1. The Mahayana area.

1. 185 million of Buddhist (56% of all Buddhists)
2. Main Mahayana countries are China, Japan (Zen), South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Taiwan, and Nepal (Hindu country)

2. The Theravada area.

1. 124 million of Buddhist (38% of all Buddhists)
2. Main Theravada countries are Thailand, Sri Lanka, Burma (Myanmar), Laos, Cambodia, and India

3. The Lamaist area (Vajrayana).

1. 20 million of Buddhist (6% of all Buddhists)
2. Main Vajrayana countries are Tibet, Mongolia, China (Southwest), India (North), and Bhutan

Some of these countries can match with the area of influence of the Sinic or the Hindu Civilisation.

❮ Samples - Buddhist Civilisation ❯

Location of the Buddhist Civilisation.