<p><span style="line-height:1.6em">T</span><span style="line-height:1.6em">his paper examines the prospects and challenges for expanding the </span><span style="line-height:1.6em">ASEAN Free Trade Area for inter-regional trade by first identifying the elements and principles that should govern such expansion for it to contribute towards realizing global-scale liberalization. Areas for inter-regional linkage are also identified highlighting the possible issues and conflicts that might arise considering the differing objectives and scope that AFTA has with the other trade blocs which it might want to develop an inter-regional linkage. Some probable arrangements for linking/expanding AFTA with other groupings or non-ASEAN countries are then explored, particularly those involving </span>Closer Economic Relation,<span style="line-height:1.6em"> the East Asian countries and the Andean Community.</span></p>
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