Genesis of a growth triangle in Southeast Asia

This study discusses the history of a regional cooperation framework, the SIJORI Growth Triangle with a focus on the mutual economic connections between Singapore, Johor and the Riau Islands. These long-exiting connections formed the initial shape of local networks which were enlarged, intensified and diversified especially after 1870s, not only economically, but also socially and politically. This study hence provides a survey of two kinds of integration of the growth triangle in the dimension of socio-political evolution, trade, shipping and capital movements from 1870 to 1970: 1. internal integration with the growth triangle; 2. external integration with the world within a wider process of globalization.