Asia Global Institute
Asia Forward: Leading the Way Towards a New Multilateralism

Asia Forward: Leading the Way Towards a New Multilateralism

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

AsiaGlobal Dialogue

Information

Under the theme Asia Forward: Leading the Way Towards a New Multilateralism,  AsiaGlobal Dialogue 2021 explored key aspects of the global economy including digitalization and sustainability and how Asia can drive the post-pandemic recovery and reinvigorate multilateral cooperation.

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Abstract

0855 HKT I Welcome and Opening 

Speaker:
Xiang Zhang, President and Vice-Chancellor, The University of Hong Kong


0900 – 1000 HKT I Recovery and Renewal: Globalization After the Pandemic 

As the world struggles to emerge out of the pandemic, what are the lessons to learn from the global effort to address this cataclysmic crisis? What needs to be done to improve international cooperation not just in public health but across the sustainability agenda from climate change to inequality, from gender to the impact of technology? And what role should key economies in Asia play in this effort?

Speakers:
Samuel Palmisano, Chairman, Center for Global Enterprise
Mari Pangestu, Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships, World Bank
Mark Tucker, Group Chairman, HSBC

Moderator: Victor K Fung, Advisory Board Co-Chair, Asia Global Institute


1100 – 1215 HKT I Asia and a New Multilateralism

Post-pandemic, multilateralism – the mastery of globalization through international collaboration – must be renewed and strengthened. The US and its Western allies and partners call for the shoring up of the postwar liberal rules-based international order. But should the goal be simply to strengthen existing mechanisms and institutions? How can multilateralism work better in a decoupling world or a divided and divisive global system? What are the implications for regional groups such as ASEAN and APEC, the RCEP and CPTPP trade groupings, new institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), plurilateral arrangements such as the Quad and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), economic integration and collaboration programs such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and regional and global public health and health security frameworks that have been tested during the pandemic? What new models of world order should be explored or expanded? Can Asia lead?

Speakers:
Christina L Davis, Professor in the Department of Government, Harvard University
Vivian Lin, Executive Associate Dean, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
Siddharth Tiwari, Chief Representative for Asia and the Pacific, Bank for International Settlements
George Yeo, Visiting Scholar, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore; Former Chairman, Kerry Logistics; and Former Singapore Foreign Minister

Moderator: Heiwai Tang, Associate Director, Asia Global Institute


1230 – 1330 HKT I Fireside Chat: Mapping Global Imbalances: A One-Earth Balance Sheet 

Every few years a crisis – the present pandemic as well as the 2008-2009 recession – highlights the inadequacy of GDP and its supporting economic metrics for measuring global progress and prosperity. And while there is almost universal agreement that GDP fails to accurately capture the importance of climate action, sustainability, inclusivity, global cooperation and even happiness, there has been no significant shift to other measures such as the renowned One-Earth balance sheet. What is needed to make progress at scaling the use of better metrics? How and why should Asia be the laboratory for the one-earth balance sheet?

Speakers:
Andrew Sheng, Distinguished Fellow, Asia Global Institute
Bing Song, Vice President, Berggruen Institute


1345 – 1500 HKT I Rethinking Growth and Sustainability: Can Asia Lead? 

The silver lining of the pandemic is that it stopped “business as usual” and gave communities, markets, and businesses the opportunity to reflect on and reset priorities. The important conversations around human health, environmental resilience, and social responsibility are only just beginning. And while there is broad acknowledgement that economies need growth in order to produce resources for the recovery, there is also a push to ensure a higher quality of growth that is compatible with human and environmental well-being. How are Asia’s key economies taking on the challenge to reshape and reset for the future? What new expectations and opportunities are being created for companies and supply chains that can help deliver the sustainable economy?

Speakers:
Zhiwu Chen, Director, Asia Global Institute
Ma Jun, Founding Director, Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs
Erik Solheim, President, Green Belt and Road Institute; Vice Chair, CCICED; and Former Minister of Environment Norway
Anderson Tanoto, Managing Director, RGE Pte Ltd

Moderator: Pamela Mar, Executive Vice President – Knowledge and Applications, Fung Group


1530 – 1645 HKT I The Global Economy: New Drivers of Growth 

Nearly two years after the onset of the pandemic, what are the key drivers of the global economy? Digitalization is transforming how businesses connect with consumers and collaborate with each other; a new health and wellness agenda is transforming the world of work; businesses are committing to carbon neutrality; and investors are agitating for real and faster change. How might these and other growth drivers reshape the world ahead? What can businesses and policymakers do to make the most of these changes?

Speakers:
Kathy Matsui, General Partner, MPower Partners
Michael Spence, Advisory Board Co-Chair, Asia Global Institute
Wang Bing, Deputy Chief Executive, Bank of China (Hong Kong)

Moderator: Alejandro T Reyes, Director of Knowledge Dissemination, Asia Global Institute


1650 – 1700 HKT I Closing Remarks 

Speakers:
Victor K Fung, Advisory Board Co-Chair, Asia Global Institute
Michael Spence, Advisory Board Co-Chair, Asia Global Institute

Videos
AsiaGlobal Dialogue 2021 - Asia Forward: Leading the Way Towards a New Multilateralism
AGD2021: Welcome and Opening
AGD2021: Recovery and Renewal: Globalization After the Pandemic
AGD2021: Asia and a New Multilateralism
AGD2021: Fireside Chat: Mapping Global Imbalances: A One-Earth Balance Sheet
AGD2021: Rethinking Growth and Sustainability: Can Asia Lead?
AGD2021: The Global Economy: New Drivers of Growth
AGD2021: Closing Remarks

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