Growth trade and structural changes in the Asian region.

The Research and Information System (RIS) for the Non-aligned and Other Developing Countries is an autonomous body set up in New Delhi (India), with the financial support of the Government of India. RIS is a forum for providing analytical support to the developing countries on various international economic issues of concern to the process of their development.

Its aims and objectives include, among others, promotion of the concept of self-reliance among the non-aligned and other developing countries and forging and maintaining a system of effective links amongst the various research institutions of these countries with a view to utilize their research capabilities for the maximum common benefits. It also secks to serve and effectively function on a continuing basis as a data bank/information storage and retrieval centre on global and regional problems bearing on the interests of non-aligned and other developing countries.

The RIS has initiated different types of publication series - Occasional Papers, Discussion Papers, Reprints, Digest on current issues and events, etc. with a view to generating debate on and awareness of current international economic issues among different sections of the Third World community.

Asia occupies a special place in the world. It has a long history of social, cultural, political and economic transformation. It displays various elements of diversity, yet there are many traits of unifying identity. The present paper gives an overview of the various aspects of this Asian dynamics, as also an inventory of issues that have emerged in the past and that deserve attention in the years to come. In this context, various issues such as the patterns of growth and cycles, the process of self reliance, structural changes, trade flows and trade strategies, homogeneity and heterogeneity in the Asian region have been analysed in the paper. It also gives an account of development gap that exists between this and other developing regions and the developed countries/regions. This paper was earlier presented at the commemorative Asian Relations Conference held in New Delhi in 1987. We are publishing this paper with a view to generate more debate on the issues highlighted and discussed in the paper.