Eurasia (building)

Economic and Security Challenges in Asia and their Impact in Eurasia - Bucharest Forum 2015

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• published: 18 Nov 2015
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Economic and Security Challenges in Asia and their Impact in Eurasia: Can the E-W Trade and Investment Corridor/New Silk Road be Shared? Keynote address: Shen Weizhong, Deputy Division Director of the Department of European Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China Iuliu Winkler, Vice President of the International Trade Committee, European Parliament Panelists: H.E. Doru Costea, Ambassador of Romania to the People’s Republic of China Dr. Jing Men, InBev – Baillet - Latour Chair of European Union-China Relations and Director of the EU - China Research Centre, College of Europe Dr. Christina Lin, Fellow, Center for Transatlantic Relations, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies Theresa Fallon, Senior Associate, European Institute for Asian Studies Moderator: Cristian Pantazi, Editor-in-chief, Hotnews.ro With the SCO and the Eurasian Economic Union emerging as significant players classical approaches are tested and tried. From the newly inaugurated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to regional trade agreements, East Asia’s financial infrastructure is in a constant flux. Currently it is showing signs that it is both challenging the old Bretton Woods system and also complementing it in areas where it is lacking. On the other hand the TPP, one of the most ambitious trade agreements the Asia Pacific area has seen, is both a contentious point in the US-China relationship as well as a boon for US-Japan relations. This has mirrored, to some extent the reactions that the One Belt, One Road framework has seen from Western nations – some have welcomed the initiative, others have remained impassive while the majority of them have either sought to build initiatives of their own or improve the existing ones. Both these projects have a huge potential to transform the Eurasian region but also carry the burden of potentially leading to strained relations depending on individual outcomes. From a security standpoint the South and East China Seas disputes, coupled with the territorial and diplomatic gap between China and South Korea, on the one hand, and Japan on the other, put Western nations, particularly the US, in a very difficult position vis-à-vis their trade interests and their diplomatic allegiances, thus adding to the region’s paradigm shift. Bucharest Forum is the public events platform of Aspen Institute Romania. Its creation was inspired by an Aspen Institutes Network of International Partners international committee gathering in 2009. Since its inception in 2012, the mission of the Bucharest Forum is to create a regional platform for forward thinking on economic and security policies and for promoting political dialogue between governments and business. This series of international, large scale, conferences focuses on the needs of economic and strategic decision makers in the region between the Adriatic, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Bucharest Forum offers a unique opportunity for high level East-West conversation in a global transformative context. Specifically it facilitates an in-depth understanding of how the developments on the Eurasian nexus shape decisions for Europe and the Transatlantic link. Jointly organized by the Aspen Institute Romania and GMFUS office in Romania, Bucharest Forum enjoys the key support of the Romanian Presidency, Romanian Government and the Romanian Parliament. It benefits from a diverse participation of foreign and Romanian government representatives, political figures, experts, media and think tank representatives, as well as business leaders. Bucharest Forum 2015 takes place between 14-16 October at critical times for the region and Europe. As the global order is changing, new economic and strategic alignments shape the context for political cooperation, economic and trade relations as well as investment. This is particularly evident in the East-West political and economic dynamic along the New Silk Road. Political crisis in Europe is evident in the difficulty of managing the Greek debt issue, the UK referendum and the Mediterranean refugee crisis. This European malaise is heightened by domestic populists’ rifts and the challenge of the deep low in relations with Russia over the Ukraine crisis. Combined with a deep partisan rift in Washington and approaching Presidential elections in the US this has implications for the West and presents complex challenges for the Trans-Atlantic community.