東亞金融危機後，東協加速東協自由貿易區的進程，並且逐步建立 東協加三與東協加一機制，以東協為中心，吸納中國大陸、日本與南韓 等三個東北亞國家，建立東亞經貿合作的平台。目前隱然成形的東亞經 濟整合發展，東協加三與東協加一的順利運作，為區域合作制度的發展， 奠定有利的根基，更促進了區域的穩定與和平。但中國與日本在東亞自 由貿易區議題的角力，卻突顯出東亞整合中缺乏領導國家與區域政經分 歧的隱憂。台灣由於長期政治孤立，更被排除於東亞經濟整合的過程之 外，未來將面臨東亞經貿整合所施加的嚴重政經挑戰。台灣未來應主動 積極參與全球性與區域性貿易制度，改善兩岸政治對抗帶來的困擾，爭 取參舆東亞經貿整合的過程，以台灣發展與未來經貿領先地位為首要目 標，建立兩岸互信機制，並且進而在東亞的經濟整合中，發揮重要的角色。

ASEAN accelerated the ASEAN Free Trade Area schedule after 1997/1998 Asian financial crisis. ASEAN also established the ASEAN+3 and ASEAN +1 institution, by connecting China, Japan and ROK, as a way to forge an East Asian economic cooperation base. The development of the East Asian economic integration and the smooth function of the ASEAN+3 and ASEN+1 pave the way as sounding foundation to the regional cooperation. The regional stability has also improved in the past years as China-ASEAN Free Trade Area proposal being declared in 2001. However, China and Japan has great diversion on the East Asian further cooperation and economic integration, especially on the issue of the East Asia Free Trade Area. It is clear that East Asia does not have a sounding leader to further improve the regional integration. Taiwan is expelled from the process of the East Asia integration because of her political isolation. Taiwan will face a lot of political and economic challenges as the regional integration development in the next ten years. Taiwan should play a positive role in the international free trade process, which could be one way to get rid of the difficulties as China poses to her in the East Asian economic integration process.