Thursday, 30 May 2024 – In this hybrid seminar, Mr Carlos Kuriyama and Mr Emmanuel A. San Andres provided insights from recently concluded APEC meetings, including an analysis of the May 2024 issue of the APEC Regional Trend Analysis (ARTA). They also discussed key regional economic and trade-related trends.
SINGAPORE APEC STUDY CENTRE SEMINAR
About the Hybrid Seminar
Peru is the host economy for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in 2024. Under the overarching theme of “Empower. Include. Grow,” APEC member economies will advance a regional agenda with the following priorities: trade and investment for inclusive and interconnected growth; innovation and digitalisation to promote transition to the formal and global economy; and sustainable growth for resilient development.
During 17-18 May 2024, the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade convened in Arequipa, Peru, to discuss key regional and global trade issues. They also met with the Ministers for Women on 17 May 2024 to discuss women’s economic empowerment through trade in the Asia-Pacific region. At these meetings, the APEC Policy Support Unit (PSU) released the latest issue of the APEC Regional Trend Analysis (ARTA). In addition, the PSU is currently doing work reinforcing the point that strengthening multilateral institutions of economic integration and trade is paramount to bolstering cross-border cooperation and rebuilding trust in the multilateral trading system.
This seminar will commence with a brief commentary on insights gleaned from these ministerial meetings, followed by a discussion of the economic and trade trends in the APEC region. It will then examine the issues of trade disengagement and geoeconomic fragmentation, which stand in direct opposition to APEC’s principles of economic integration and multilateralism.
About the Speakers
Carlos Kuriyama is Director of APEC Policy Support Unit (PSU), which is the policy research and analysis arm of APEC. In this position, he heads a team of skilled professionals that provides high quality evidence-based research and technical support to APEC Senior Officials, Committees and Working Groups.
Mr Kuriyama was formerly a Senior Analyst at PSU. Prior to that, he was an official of Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism where he served as Lead Negotiator of the Peru-China FTA negotiations, General Coordinator of the Peru-Singapore FTA negotiations, and Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade. As an Associate Researcher and Lecturer in Economics at Universidad del Pacifico, he wrote extensively and participated in research projects on trade, investment and integration issues for several domestic and international institutions.
Mr Kuriyama holds a Master of International Affairs from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, USA and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Universidad del Pacífico, Peru.
Emmanuel A. San Andres is a Senior Analyst at PSU. He conducts research in the areas of inclusive and sustainable growth, human capital development, labour and employment, cross-border mobility and tourism, financial inclusion, MSMEs, and low-carbon transition.
Prior to joining APEC, Mr San Andres was an Economics Officer at the Economics and Research Department of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila mainly working on poverty, inequality, food security, and social sector issues such as health, education, and employment. He also worked as a consultant for organisations such as the ADB, World Bank, and various civil society organisations where he conducted research on economic development, migration and remittances, education, public health, and development policy. He holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of the Philippines School of Economics.
Registration
This is a hybrid event which will be held at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute (ISEAS).
Attending the Event In-person at ISEAS
To join the event in-person at ISEAS, please register via the ISEAS mobile app, available on iOS and Android via the Apple or Play store. Search “ISEAS” to find or scan this QR code.
Apple Store
Play Store
Seating capacity is limited. Do register early to avoid disappointment.
Attending the Event Virtually via Webinar
To join the event virtually at the specified date and time using your internet devices, please register here to receive your unique login link for the webinar via the zoom platform.
If you have questions for the speaker, please key in your questions via the Q&A, stating your name and affiliation. The moderator will field them to the speakers during the Q&A session.
In this hybrid seminar, Mr Carlos Kuriyama and Mr Foo Cher How shared APEC’s latest update of the APEC Regional Trends Analysis and a discussion of Singapore’s priorities under APEC USA 2023.
In this webinar, Dr Suphat Suphachalasai, Dr Denis Hew and Dr Jayant Menon discussed the future direction of APEC, the current initiatives and post Covid-19 economic recovery.
In this webinar, Dr Denis Hew and Dr Akhmad Bayhaqi discussed findings from the latest APEC Regional Trends Analysis (ARTA)—the flagship publication of the APEC Policy Support Unit (PSU). With Dr Jayant Menon as discussant.
In this webinar, Tan Sri Datuk Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria, Mr Benjamin Tan and Mr Eduardo Pedrosa discussed “Asia-Pacific in 2020: Looking Back and Looking Forward”.
This webinar examines how the automotive industry in the Indonesia and Vietnam are facing the challenges brought about by technological advancement and changing consumer expectations.
This webinar aims to examine the impact of these changes on the auto sector in selected APEC economies, namely Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
In this webinar, Dr Denis Hew and Ms Satvinderjit Kaur Singh discussed findings from the latest APEC Regional Trends Analysis (ARTA)—the flagship publication of the APEC Policy Support Unit (PSU), and also discussed the ARTA theme chapter on the Circular Economy.
SINGAPORE APEC STUDY CENTRE
About the Seminar
In a somber mood of anti-globalisation, Leaders of 21 APEC economies concluded the 2016 APEC Summit by emphasizing the need for greater regional economic integration. Commitments to work collectively on regional initiatives were also reaffirmed, to promote mutually beneficial economic integration by improving connectivity, including further efforts to liberalize trade and investment. APEC economies will also continue to encourage structural adjustment and policies to deliver a better, sustainable and inclusive economic growth in the future.
The year 2017 started with a big blow to regional economic integration, as the US administration decided to withdraw from the Trans-pacific Partnership (TPP). While there were discussions of a trade slowdown and rising protectionist tendencies, there are also deliberations that international trade has not benefitted all in society. Greater consideration needs to be given to the distribution of the gains arising from liberalization policies. Communication needs to be strengthened to develop a shared understanding on regional integration, economic growth and the prospects of better well-being.
It is in this setting that the trade ministers from the 21 APEC member economies met in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 20-21 May 2017. They discussed initiatives around freer Asia-Pacific trade that unleashes the advantages of globalization, while concurrently safeguarding people’s welfare that have been affected in the past. The Singapore APEC Study Centre, leveraging on the discussion of the meetings, will convene a seminar that will bring together policy-makers and experts to discuss three key aspects of APEC activities: a) policy discussion on services sector liberalization and APEC post-2020 Bogor goals; b) outlook on globalization and APEC economies and c) ideas and issues to strengthen connectivity across APEC economies.
About the Speakers
Ms Chan Kah Mei, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore
Abstract
The speaker will provide the highlights of the APEC trade ministers’ meetings in Hanoi, with particular emphasis on services sector liberalization, ideas for post-2020 Bogor goals and e-commerce. She will also touch upon the anti-globalisation sentiments (or not) in the officials’ meeting and will share insights on ways to communicate better on economic integration.
Chan Kah Mei is the Deputy Director at the Trade Division of the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Singapore. She heads the teams on the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and Services and E-commerce. Prior to this, Ms Chan held portfolios in the South Asia and Middle East departments and was posted to the Singapore High Commission in New Delhi as Counsellor (Economics) from May 2011 to 2014.
Ms Chan started her career as a broadcast journalist at Mediacorp Radio in Singapore. She later spent time at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (now known as ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute) as a research associate.
Ms Chan joined the Ministry of Trade and Industry in 2007 where she was in charge of the India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and bilateral economic relations between Singapore and India.
Ms Chan obtained a Masters of Science (Politics), First Class, at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London under the Dato Tan Cheng Lock Scholarship from the Institute of South East Asian Studies in 2004.
Dr Denis Hew, Policy Support Unit, APEC Secretariat, Singapore
Abstract
The speaker will provide an account of economic performance and outlook of APEC economies. He will highlight economic trends that need to be tracked to understand the risks to globalization. What are the implications of these risks to the Asia-Pacific region? As trade ministers of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries are likely to meet on the sidelines of the APEC meetings, the speaker will also share his views on the prospects of the agreement.
Denis Hew is currently the Director of APEC Policy Support Unit (PSU). In this position, he is responsible for the work program and operations of the PSU, which is the research and analysis arm of APEC.
Before taking up his current appointment, Dr Hew was Regional Cooperation Specialist at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), where he managed technical assistance and coordinated efforts on regional cooperation and integration in the Southeast Asia department. From 2001 to 2008, Dr Hew was Senior Fellow and Programme Coordinator (Regional Economic Studies) at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (now known as ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute). He was also for many years the Managing Editor of the ASEAN Economic Bulletin, a leading academic journal that focuses on policy-relevant economic issues in Southeast Asia. Dr Hew has written extensively on regional economic cooperation and integration, especially in ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific region.
Dr Hew holds a BSc (Hons) in Economics from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom and MSc and PhD in Finance from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom.
Dr Andrew Elek, Australian National University
Abstract
The speaker will look into the ideas and issues of APEC Connectivity Blueprint 2015-2025. He will discuss options for financing physical infrastructure under APEC connectivity and possibility of leveraging on China’s initiative of Belt and Road Initiative and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. The speaker will also consider hoe APEC can continue to promote people-to-people connectivity, (for example by. covering issues of tourism, education, business travel) at a time of rising anti-immigration sentiments.
Andrew Elek is a Visiting Research Fellow of the Crawford School of Economics and Government at the Australian National University (ANU) and a member of the Australian Pacific Economic Cooperation Committee (AUSPECC).
Dr Elek has worked extensively in development economics in South Asia and the South Pacific, and as a Senior Economist with the World Bank. From 1985 to 1987, he served as Chief Economist in the Economic Planning Advisory Council of the Australian Government. From 1987 to 1990, he was head of the Economic and Trade Development Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In 1989, he was the inaugural chairman of APEC Senior Officials, with a central role in the establishment of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) process. From 1990 to 1994 he was a Senior Research Fellow at the ANU.
Dr Elek has published many papers on international economics and economic cooperation, including the APEC process and, more recently, the G20 and the Belt and Road initiative launched recently by China. The main topics covered recently can be seen at http://www.eastasiaforum.org/author/andrewelek/.
Registration
For registration, please fill in this form and email to iseasevents3@iseas.edu.sg by 31 May 2017.