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Summer Davos - Looking at The World Through an Asian Lens

After a successful series of regional meetings in the Middle East, Africa and East Asia, we’re now gearing up for our "Summer Davos" in Dalian, China. The meeting which kicks off on September 10th is different from our regional events in that it’s a true global gathering similar to Davos but “looking at the world through an Asian lens” as Robert Greenhill, Managing Director, put it in this interview.

The "Summer Davos" which is officially the "Annual Meeting of the New Champions", will focus on how we can revive economic growth in the current turmoil. It will showcase the Forum's Community of Global Growth Companies. This 200-strong community - many of whom are from Asia and with sales usually between $100 million to a $1 billion - has the potential to transform their industries. The Annual Meeting of the New Champions is their key meeting and brings them together with two other important Forum communities, the Young Global Leaders and the Tech Pioneers.

As well looking at the business models and new leaders capable of driving growth, the Forum will make another key contribution by launching its flagship Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010 in Dalian. The Report is accepted internationally as the benchmark publication on country competitiveness and will be used by governments and business to gauge how different countries are dealing with the current economic crisis.

For more about the Summer Davos go to http://www.weforum.org/NewChampions

Forum on East Asia Ends with Shaping the G20 Agenda

East Asia can drive the critical post-crisis structural reform of the global economy, business, government and civil society leaders participating in the 18th World Economic Forum on East Asia agreed at the closing session of the two-day meeting. Next year, the Republic of Korea will assume the chair of the G20, which has become the main forum for addressing global economic challenges.

“For the time being, the G20 is for reactive purposes, with the financial markets still in shambles,” said Ahn Ho-Young, G20 Sherpa and Deputy Minister for Trade of the Republic of Korea. But “moving on, there will be other post-crisis management issues on which G20 members will have to cooperate. If leaders agree and there is sufficient ambition, the G20 should move from being reactive to proactive. The question is if G20 leaders have the stomach and appetite to address these next-generation issues. Korea does.”

During the final session, three of the meeting Co-Chairs reviewed some of those priorities, including rebalancing the global economy; devising “exit strategies” from the huge public investments made in recent months to stimulate economies around the world; developing social safety nets to promote domestic consumption in high-saving economies such as China; examining the potential of shaping a coordinated approach to interest rate and currency management; and alleviating the poverty that affects half of the world’s population. Watch the sessions 'On-Demand' here: http://tr.im/ForumLive

Particpants Join the Davos Debates in East Asia 2009

Participants at the World Economic Forum on East Asia held in Seoul have joined the Davos Debates in East Asia. At a specially designed video corner set up at the conference venue participants replied to the question: Will geopolitical conflicts outweigh the economic crisis in East Asia? Watch their answers below. (sorry for the sometimes noisy recordings, we'll do better next time)

Asia relies on green initiatives for future growth

“We believe that a strong economy and a clean environment are not mutually exclusive, and that Korea has to take an active part in tackling climate change,” Han Seung-Soo, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, told 350 participants from 35 countries at the 18th World Economic Forum on East Asia today. “Korea recognizes the symbiotic relationship between economic growth and environmental sustainability.” The country has proclaimed low-carbon green growth as its new national vision.

Watch the session:

Worst of economic crisis over, but Asia still facing risks

There is a growing consensus that the worst is over for Asia and the rest of the world, but many risks remain, said leaders at the 18th World Economic Forum on East Asia.

They urged governments to formulate an exit strategy to mop up excess liquidity from stimulus programmes, avoid trade protectionism, strike a correct balance between regulation and flexibility, and use the crisis to move strongly on regional integration.

“There is a growing consensus that the worst of the crisis is over and even signs of bottoming out, and even hints of recovery in some economies,” said Lim Hwee Hua, Minister, Office of the Prime Minister of Singapore. “However, as we move out of the woods, we need to be mindful of how recovery is taking place.”

For more, watch the session and read the press release.

East Asia critical to global economic recovery and governance reform

East Asia will play a critical role in driving global economic recovery and the reform of global governance, government and financial-sector leaders agreed in the opening session of the 18th World Economic Forum on East Asia.

Ahn Ho-Young, G20 Sherpa and Deputy Minister for Trade of the Republic of Korea, noted that in order to achieve this, significant coordination that builds on what the G20 has achieved so far since leaders met in Washington DC last year and in London in April will be required.

For more, watch the session and read the press release.

Livestream of the World Economic Forum on East Asia

The World Economic Forum on East Asia kicks off on Thursday 18 June 2009. The opening press conference and the plenary sessions will be streamed live on the Forum's Livestream channel embedded below. Here is the programme of live streamed sessions is here: http://tr.im/KoreaProgram.

Watch a video with Sushant Palakurthi Rao, Head of Asia Region, on the World Economic Forum on East Asia 2009.

The key issues at the World Economic Forum on East Asia 2009

Leaders are looking ahead to the key issues on the agenda of the World Economic Forum on East Asia 2009 which will be held from 18-19 June in Seoul, Republic of Korea. Close to 400 of Asia’s leading decision-makers from business, government, academia and civil society from over 35 countries participate in the 18th Forum on East Asia.

The theme of the meeting is “Implications of the Global Economic Crisis for East Asia” and the programme is designed to facilitate steps towards greater international and regional cooperation in rising to the challenges of the new economic landscape. For more information go to http://tr.im/Korea09. The main sessions of the programme (http://tr.im/KoreaProgram) will be streamed live on Livestream (http://tr.im/ForumLive).

Will geopolitical conflicts outweigh the economic crisis in East Asia?

After a very successful Davos Debates at the World Economic Forum on Africa the Davos Debates are moving to Seoul in South Korea where the Forum holds its annual World Economic Forum on East Asia from 18 & 19 June. The Davos Debates (http://youtube.com/davos) is a video channel on YouTube dedicated to public debate and discussion with global leaders about key issues affecting the world. The Forum invites the general public to share their thoughts on the impact of geopolitical conflicts in East Asia. Vote in our poll and answer the following question: "Will geopolitical conflicts outweigh the economic crisis in East Asia?"

The videos submitted by the YouTube community will become part of the discussions at the meeting in Seoul. A dedicated video corner at the meeting will allow the 400 participating leaders to reply directly to the videos submitted by the YouTube community.

Implications of the Global Economic Crisis for East Asia

The 18th World Economic Forum on East Asia will take place in Seoul, Republic of Korea, from 18-19 June. Participants, including Asia’s leading decision-makers from business, government and civil society, will examine the region’s response to the economic crisis. The meeting will provide insight on building a common agenda for Asia to revitalize the global economy through new models of growth, technologies and corporate practices.

The programme is designed to address the distressed global economy, environmental protection and resource scarcity. Further, it will be an occasion to discuss the expanding G20 leadership roles of South Korea – which will assume the G20 chairmanship in 2010 – and Japan, set against the continued growth and rising influence of China and India.

 

UPDATE 9 June 2009

Watch an interview with Sushant Palakurthi Rao, Head of Asia Region, on the programme of the meeting. The full programme is below.

Programme of the World Economic Forum on East Asia

Thursday 18 June 09.30 - 11.00 (00.30 - 02.00GMT)

East Asia, the G20 and Challenges to Global Redesign Asia accounts for six countries among the G20 and for more than 35% of world GDP, compared to 20% each for the US and EU. Having taken the bitter pill after the 1997 crisis, and as South Korea prepares to take up the G20 presidency next year, how will Asian countries help drive solutions to the current crisis? How must the global system change to reflect Asia's increasing stake in international affairs? Rajat M. Nag, Managing Director-General, Asian Development Bank, Manila Il SaKong, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Korea International Trade Association (KITA), Republic of Korea; Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum on East Asia Peter Sands, Group Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered, United Kingdom; Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum on East Asia Kiat Sittheeamorn, Trade Representative, Office of the Prime Minister of Thailand, Thailand Chaired by Andrew Stevens, Anchor and Correspondent, CNN, Hong Kong SAR

Thursday 18 June 11.15 - 12.20 (02.15 - 03.20GMT)

East Asia@Risk: Future Threats to the Recovery Glimpses of an Asian economic recovery are emerging thanks to positive flow-on effects from government stimulus packages, particularly in China. Yet, slumps in exports in Japan and South Korea, in addition to geopolitical uncertainty linked to security in the northeast and southern parts of Asia, are cause for continued concern. Which risks will pose the greatest challenges for Asia in the near and long term? Azman Mokhtar, Managing Director, Khazanah Nasional, Malaysia; Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum on East Asia Yasuchika Hasegawa, President, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Japan Lim Hwee Hua, Minister, Office of the Prime Minister of Singapore William L. Meaney, Chief Executive Officer, Zuellig Group, Hong Kong SAR Joseph L. Rice III, Chairman, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, USA Sir David Wright, Vice-Chairman, Barclays Capital, United Kingdom Chaired by Chloe Heemyung Cho, Anchor and Correspondent, CNBC Asia, Singapore

Friday 19 June 09.00 - 10.15 (00.00 - 01.15GMT)

Setting Asia's Green Growth Agenda By investing up to two-thirds of their billion dollar recovery packages in promoting environmental initiatives, Asian countries are well poised to lead a global "Green New Deal", developing clean technologies and generating new jobs in the process. Given high expectations for massive infrastructure investments to reignite Asian economies, what is the potential for Asia's green agenda? Chiaki Ito, Vice-Chairman, Fujitsu, Japan Kim Hyung-Kook, Chairman, Presidential Committee on Green Growth, Republic of Korea Troels Lund Poulsen, Minister of the Environment of Denmark Tarek Sultan Al Essa, Chairman and Managing Director, Agility, Kuwait; Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum on East Asia Opening Remarks by Han Seung-Soo, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea Chaired by Robert Greenhill, Managing Director and Chief Business Officer, World Economic Forum

Friday 19 June 10.30 - 11.45 (01.30 - 02.45GMT)

Towards New Drivers of Growth Asian economies have suffered severe shocks from the global economic downturn, yet are better placed than most for recovery thanks to lessons learned from the Asian financial crisis, significant stimulus packages and the potential to mobilize regional consumption. Who will lead the recovery in Asia, and which sectors are demonstrating the most promising growth prospects? Dominic Barton, Director, McKinsey & Company, People's Republic of China Max Burger-Calderon, Senior Partner and Chairman, Asia, Apax Partners, Hong Kong SAR Hoang Trung Hai, Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam Kim Jeong, President, Bell Labs, Executive Vice-President, Alcatel-Lucent, Alcatel-Lucent Bell Laboratories, USA Ruben K. Vardanian, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Troika Dialog Group, Russian Federation; Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum on East Asia; Young Global Leader Chaired by Phil Smith, Editor, North Asia, Thomson Reuters, People's Republic of China

Friday 19 June 17.30 - 18.15 (08.30 - 09.15GMT)

Next Steps for Asia in Global Redesign The global economic crisis provides Asia with the unique opportunity to leverage the strength of its collective economic position, redefine its growth model and reinvigorate the global economy. With high expectations on Asia, this closing session will outline the major outcomes of the meeting as well as the top priorities for the region's leaders. Azman Mokhtar, Managing Director, Khazanah Nasional, Malaysia; Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum on East Asia Cho Suck-Rai, Chairman, Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), Republic of Korea; Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum on East Asia Il SaKong, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Korea International Trade Association (KITA), Republic of Korea; Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum on East Asia Peter Sands, Group Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered, United Kingdom; Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum on East Asia Tarek Sultan Al Essa, Chairman and Managing Director, Agility, Kuwait; Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum on East Asia Ruben K. Vardanian, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Troika Dialog Group, Russian Federation; Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum on East Asia; Young Global Leader Moderated by Christopher J. Graves, President and Chief Executive Officer, Asia Pacific, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, Hong Kong SAR

The official tag of the meeting is Korea09. On Twitter: #Korea09. For more information go to http://tr.im/korea09