The ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, Vientiane, Friday 11 October
Allen Lai, UKABC’s Director – ASEAN, expertly chaired an insightful panel discussion focused on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific highlighting ASEAN Centrality. This panel featured Rhiannon Harries, UK Deputy Trade Commissioner for ASEAN at the Department for Business and Trade, Paul Thoppil, Canada’s Indo-Pacific Trade Representative, Nicholas Moore AO, Australia’s Special Trade Envoy for Southeast Asia and Bernardino Vega, ASEAN BAC Indonesia Alternative Chair.
Key takeaways from this informative and interactive panel included:
ASEAN is one of the fastest-growing areas of the world. As the centre of the Indian and Asia Pacific ocean regions, ASEAN plays a pivotal role in shaping the economic architecture of the wider region.
A flourishing trade environment within ASEAN and with dialogue partners in the Indo-Pacific is needed to raise the quality of life for all. Inclusive growth is essential to ensure everyone benefits. Regulatory harmonisation, standards, free trade agreements such as RCEP and the CPTPP, and addressing non-tariff barriers will enhance trade and need to be worked on, it’s not going to just happen.
Energy transition needs to be a priority for ASEAN to achieve its SDG and climate change goals. However, it has to be a Just Transition to ensure economic growth and climate goals are both achieved. Canada is looking at nuclear as an option.
Education plays a pivotal role in helping all our societies understand each other. As students from ASEAN and from dialogue partners study abroad a greater understanding of each other is gained, in addition to academic learning.
Keeping up: AI, quantum computers and digital transformation will impact the region. Training and right skilling are important. Technology and digitalisation are changing rapidly and each year brings a new focus.
Silos: the excellent question by Thomas Noto Suoneto of ASEAN-BAC Indonesia on how can ASEAN and dialogue partners work together to combine resources to achieve specific goals was a good one, and needs to be looked into more.
