The growing competitiveness and volatility in the world economy, including the rise and fall of currencies and the drop in commodity prices, and the shift of the global economic centre to Asia mean that countries have to adapt. “Within this global transition, our task is clear,” Indonesian President Joko Widodo told over 700 business, government and civil society leaders in the opening session of the 24th World Economic Forum on East Asia.
“We have to reinvent our economies; we have to reinvent our societies.” Indonesia must undergo crucial restructuring, said Jokowi, as he is familiarly known. “Today, we must change from consumption back to production, from consumption to investment in our infrastructure, investment in our industry, but most importantly, investment in our human capital, the most precious resource of the 21st century.”
These changes will not be without pain, he acknowledged. “Change will create winners and losers, but there can be no progress without change. There can be no gain without pain. And even with the pain, my people tell me every week and every month, please change our country.”
The theme of the World Economic Forum on East Asia 2015 is “Anchoring Trust in East Asia’s Regionalism”. ASEAN is to launch the ASEAN Economic Community, a common-market initiative, at the end of the year.
Speaking before Jokowi, Samdech Techo Hun Sen, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, spoke about that regionalism, noting that two regional trade mechanisms are currently under negotiation – the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which includes some members of ASEAN, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which includes all 10 ASEAN countries. “The two mechanisms should not be confrontational but complementary,” Hun Sen cautioned. He called for the “promoting of deeper regional integration in all sectors through improved connectivity in all aspects – physical, institutional and people-to-people connectivity
Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, also made a plea for East Asian countries to address challenges and issues among them through collaboration. “It is very important to bear in mind that differences and disputes should be resolved through peaceful measures according to international law,” he said. “Cooperation, mutual respect and trust are indispensable to ensuring the stability and growth of the region.”
Russia, for its part, is looking to cooperate more with the Asia-Pacific region, particularly ASEAN, Arkady Dvorkovich, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, told participants. “While we do not have common borders with ASEAN, we are talking about our joint interests in developing many spheres,” such as agriculture, infrastructure development and mining, he said.
In his welcoming remarks, Philipp Rösler, Member of the Managing Board, World Economic Forum, stressed the importance of building trust to turn decisions into reality. “Trust is critical. Without trust, there is no motivation. Without motivation, there is no leadership.” The World Economic Forum on East Asia is “a platform for creating trust and leadership to bring the region into a better future,” he concluded.
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