東協可謂是亞太地區經貿整合的一個重要標竿，東協客觀環境並非完全有利區域整合發展，各成員國間之政、經條件有異，歷史境遇不同，整合有其難度，然卻在2002年完成自由貿易區建構，2008年12月東協憲章生效，實質地提供區域整合之法律基礎。東協區域整合成型乃繫於成員國主觀上堅持與排除障礙，方能有嶄新之經貿成果與法制規範，值得探討與觀察。對於經貿與法制之深入探討，將有助於建構合理有效的貿易、投資對策，解決經貿爭端。東協有廣闊資源與眾多人口，又與臺灣緊鄰，在經貿合作理應甚為密切頻繁，如發展成為區域共同體加強雙邊關係。臺灣同時為WTO與APEC會員，是亞太地區重要經濟體，地理位置亦鄰近東協。面對東協與中國「東協加一」，與日本「東協加二」，與韓國「東協加三」，續歐盟南韓自由貿易協定以及美韓簽訂自由貿易協定等經貿局勢之遽變，臺灣角色之扮演、未來如何因應，又如何創造有利經貿環境提昇競爭優勢，值得深思。

ASEAN can be seen as a starting point to successful economic and trade integrations in Asia-Pacific area. Since, the framework of Free Trade Zone effective in 2002 and the ASEAN Constitution in December 2008, legal foundation for the regional integration has been formed. The successful regional integration of ASEAN is a product of the subjective insistence of the member nations and their efforts in eliminating the barriers. Having abundant resources and a large population and, as Taiwan's neighbor, ASEAN and Taiwan should engage in close and frequent cooperation in economic and trade issues, such as forming regional integration to strengthen bilateral relations. As ASEAN has entered the ASEAN+1 with China, the ASEAN+2 with Japan and the ASEAN+3 with Korea and Korea has signed a Free Trade Agreement with EU and the U.S., it's time for Taiwan to figure out countermeasures to build its competitive stance in the upcoming race.