Buddhist Economic Area

The objectives of the subject “Buddhist Economic Area”:

1. To identify the characteristics of the Buddhist Economic Area
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 Businesspeople
5. To understand the economic integration process of the Buddhist Civilisation
6. To explore the economic relations of the Buddhist Civilisation with the other civilisations (Western, Sinic, Hindu, Islamic, African)
7. To analyse the main economic organisations related to the Buddhist Economic Area

Related Subjects to the Buddhist Economic Area.

1- Introduction to Buddhism and the Buddhist Economic Area.

1. Buddhism
2. Principles of the 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- Buddhist Economic Area. Economic Profile of the Buddhist Countries.

1. Mahayana Economic Area: China, South Korea, Japan (Zen), Vietnam, Singapore, Nepal 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 Businesspeople.

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
9. East-West Economic Corridor (Myanmar-Thailand-Laos-Vietnam)
10. Nanning-Singapore Economic Corridor
    1. Pan-Beibu Gulf Economic Zone

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 Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
   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 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. 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 African Development
   2. Asia-Africa Growth Corridor
   3. Korea: Africa-Korea Partnership
   4. China: Africa-China Forum. Africa-BRICS Cooperation (China is a BRICS Country)
   5. 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
   1. Almaty-Bishkek Economic Corridor
   2. Eurasian Land Transport Initiative (Silk Road)
5. Inter-civilisation agreements
   1. China, South Korea, Laos, and Sri Lanka: Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA)
   2. China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, and Vietnam: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
   3. Singapore and Japan: Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
   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 (EAEU)
   11. Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor

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

7- Economic Organisations related to the Buddhist Civilisation.

1. Asia-Europe 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 subject: 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 Businesspeople, regional economic organisations related to Buddhism. The detailed analysis of each one is carried out on the similar subject

Description - Buddhist Economic Area.

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. Mahayana area.

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

2. Theravada area.

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

3. Lamaist area (Vajrayana).

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

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

Location of the Buddhist Civilisation.

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