PANEL SESSION 1:
The New Silk Roads: Great Powers Perspectives
Great Power rivalries occupy a prominent dimension within the New Silk Roads and associated institutions spearheaded by China. Following President Donald Trump’s withdrawal of the U.S. from the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), there have been regional doubts about whether Washington would be able to sustain and even enhance its premier position in Asia beyond the military-security aspect of American strategy in the region. Beijing’s initiative with the BRI was perceived by many of the growing influence of China, and concurrently, a sign of US decline. Are such perceptions overblown? What are the roles played by other regional Great Powers such as India and Japan vis-à-vis the BRI. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s “look west” approach to reinvigorate economic and strategic linkages with Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean littorals, including Africa, may make the Indo-Pacific, a region for Great Power rivalry for years to come. Not to forget New Delhi’s drive to create its own analogue in the form of Project Mausam. Will this clash with China’s Maritime New Silk Road?
Professor Joseph LIOW Chin YongDean, College of Humanties, Arts, and Social Sciences and Research Adviser, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technology University, Singapore.
PANEL SESSION 2:
The New Silk Roads Outlook on the Global Economy
Since the industrial revolution through to the emergence of globalised markets, the global economy has been dominated by capital and knowledge exporting countries in the highly developed West. However, the landscape of international trade and investment has distinctly changed tack during the past decade, as Asian countries have begun to actively develop their network of bilateral and regional economic cooperation. At present, the New Silk Roads are providing fertile ground for the emergence of a new pan-Asian environment, and a potential Eurasian supercontinent. The changing geography of international economy in Asia and Europe raises a number of paradigm-shifting questions.
This session will take up the issues relating to the impact that the New Silk Roads are having on the international framework. Also the session hope to identify the actual, and forecast the potential Asian contribution to the global cognition and practice of international economics.
Professor Kriengsak CHAREONWONGSAK Chairman, National Building Institute of Thailand; Harvard Professorial Fellow; Former Advisor to the Prime Minister and Former Member of Parliament of Thailand
PANEL SESSION 3:
What Can The New Silk Roads Do To Help Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development
The BRI (Belt & Road Initiative), an initiative that emerged six years ago in 2013, prompted many countries and many people to think about the great potentials and opportunities that the BRI can offer. The BRI consists of the overland New Silk Road and the Maritime New Silk Road. The heightened awareness of New Silk Roads also prompted some people to think and talk about the Blue Economy, an approach for maritime management that has the strong support of the United Nations. The Blue Economy encompasses six areas – renewable energy, fisheries, maritime transport, tourism, climate change and waste management.
In this session, we wish to focus on poverty and poverty reduction along the maritime countries of the New Maritime Silk Road (aka the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road). How do nations along the Maritime New Silk Roads, using the Blue Economy approach, harness the resources afforded by the seas for their benefits? The connectivity afforded by this Silk Road should enable transnational cooperation in poverty reduction. We wish to examine how these enhanced and poverty reduction activities can benefit the local communities along the Maritime Silk Road countries. What are the strategies to capture the opportunities while preserving the integrity of local cultures and traditions? What must be done to maintain sustainable poverty reduction at the same time promote competition? What cooperation should Silk Road countries engage in, and how they can enhance cooperation?
In this session, we wish to focus on poverty and poverty reduction along the maritime countries of the New Maritime Silk Road (aka the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road). How do nations along the Maritime New Silk Roads, using the Blue Economy approach, harness the resources afforded by the seas for their benefits? The connectivity afforded by this Silk Road should enable transnational cooperation in poverty reduction. We wish to examine how these enhanced and poverty reduction activities can benefit the local communities along the Maritime Silk Road countries. What are the strategies to capture the opportunities while preserving the integrity of local cultures and traditions? What must be done to maintain sustainable poverty reduction at the same time promote competition? What cooperation should Silk Road countries engage in, and how they can enhance cooperation?
Mr. Ben NAIRExecutive Director, KASI Group; Managing Director, BCMC Sdn Bhd., Malaysia
PANEL SESSION 4:
Opportunities and Challenges of the New Silk Roads in Global Transportation and Supply Chain Network
Since the inception of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, it has been influencing world economic development, global transportation and supply chain in a multiple dimension. The core of the BRI is to rebuild and expand the Overland Silk Road and Maritime Silk Road. These important international trade routes and economic and transport corridor developments require a pre-requisite of well-organised infrastructure and physical distribution and information networks. Therefore, it is essential to create an affordable, reliable and sustainable international logistics, information and distribution network, including road, rail, sea, air, and pipeline links to support the BRI. In addition, it is also vital to investigate the risks, opportunities and challenges of the New Silk Roads.
Having considered the above, in this session, we will examine the important factors such as infrastructure, government’s role, technology, performance, innovation, sustainability, collaboration, capability, efficiency, resilience, and risks. This would provide managerial and policy insights, innovative idea, co-operative platform for businessmen, policy-makers, and academics to build an effective and efficient transport and logistics network.
Professor Paul Tae-Woo LEEDirector, Maritime Logistics and Free Trade Islands Research Center, Ocean College, Zhejiang University, China.
PANEL SESSION 5:
Social and Cross-Cultural Aspects and Perspectives of the New Silk Roads
The ancient overland and maritime Silk Roads were more than routes where goods were traded. The same paths that transported goods also transmitted and exchanged knowledge, cultures, philosophies and learning. Art, religions, music, science, technologies, and other social-cultural elements flourished along the ancient Silk Roads. Furthermore, they travelled in both directions, from the East westwards and from the West eastwards. They even had paths traveling southwards and northwards from the overland Silk Road. With the re-construction of the New Silk Roads, what aspects of culture and social behaviour will be impacted on countries along the routes? How do nations take advantage of the economic opportunities to modernize and strengthen their own cultures that will inevitably change? How social and cultural interactions enhance long-term economic development and improve wellbeing of nations along the New Silk Roads?
This session will examine various aspects of social and cultural change along the New Silk Roads, including how philanthropic activities can contribute and enhance cultures and social fabric of the more than 65 nations dotted along the Silk Roads.
This session will examine various aspects of social and cultural change along the New Silk Roads, including how philanthropic activities can contribute and enhance cultures and social fabric of the more than 65 nations dotted along the Silk Roads.
Professor James CHINDirector, Asia Institute Tasmania, University of Tasmania
PANEL SESSION 6:
Tourism Opportunities and Impacts along the New Maritime Silk Road
The BRI (Belt & Road Initiative), an initiative that emerged six years ago in 2013, prompted many countries and many people to think about the great potentials and opportunities that the BRI can offer. Both the two New Silk Roads (Belt & Road) attracted much media attention, discussions and debates, with news headlines on huge infrastructure projects. Billions of dollars’ worth of investments were envisaged. Bounded within these infrastructure project developments are the potential for increase activities in many sectors of the economies along the New Silk Roads. One of the important sectors is tourism.
In this session, we wish to focus on tourism of the maritime countries along the New Maritime Silk Road (aka the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road). The connectivity afforded by this Silk Road enables transnational tourism routes to function as gateways to local traditions and local cultural expressions. We wish to also examine how this enhanced tourism activities can benefit the local economies along the Maritime Silk Road countries. What are the strategies to capture the opportunities while preserving the integrity of local cultures and traditions? What must be done to create sustainable tourism at the same time promote competition? What cooperation should Silk Road countries engage in, and how they can enhance cooperation? In the face of enhanced and increased amount of tourism activities, investment and developments, what are the environmental challenges? What are the sustainable strategies to adopt?
In this session, we wish to focus on tourism of the maritime countries along the New Maritime Silk Road (aka the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road). The connectivity afforded by this Silk Road enables transnational tourism routes to function as gateways to local traditions and local cultural expressions. We wish to also examine how this enhanced tourism activities can benefit the local economies along the Maritime Silk Road countries. What are the strategies to capture the opportunities while preserving the integrity of local cultures and traditions? What must be done to create sustainable tourism at the same time promote competition? What cooperation should Silk Road countries engage in, and how they can enhance cooperation? In the face of enhanced and increased amount of tourism activities, investment and developments, what are the environmental challenges? What are the sustainable strategies to adopt?
Ms NG Yeen SeenChief Executive Officer, Centre for Research, Advisory and Technology, Malaysia