Asia House to host summit on rise of China and Southeast Asia

An array of famous and distinguished figures are confirmed to speak at the 7th World Chinese Economic Summit (WCES), which will take place this year outside the Asia Pacific region in London for the first time.

The Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI) in Kuala Lumpur and Asia House in London have organised WCES 2015, which is taking place during the month after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the UK.

This is the first time that Asia House has helped to co-organise this annual prestigious event which will offer discussion on China’s economic rise and its impact on the rest of the world, as well as the growing importance of the markets of Southeast Asia, especially in the light of the launch of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Economic Community this year.

The 2015 summit will also enable UK and European businesses to assess the impact of the Chinese President’s visit and promote business opportunities for companies in the UK and Europe.

The two-day conference will take place from Tuesday, 10 November to Wednesday, 11 November with attendance by more than 200 senior level business and political decision makers, researchers, thought leaders and entrepreneurs from China, Southeast Asia and Europe. They will take part in and listen to debates and discussions on the vital issues that will shape the future of relations between China and the rest of the world.

The key theme of this year’s conference is ‘China and the World: Forging Euro-Asian Partnerships towards Shared Prosperity.’

The conference venues are The Savoy Hotel, The House of Lords and Royal Kensington Palace.

The Summit will cover China’s increasingly important role within Asia, as well as China and its Asian neighbours’ increasing importance to the global economy and the integral role they will play in driving regional and world economic recovery. China is now the world’s second-largest economy by GDP.

Former Vice Premier of China H.E. Zeng Peiyan

Former Vice Premier of China, Chairman of the State Development Planning Commission and Chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges H. E. Zeng Peiyan will deliver a keynote address on 10 November titled ‘The Belt and Road-Shaping the future of cooperation between China and Europe and China and Asia’.

The Belt and Road is a slogan coined by the Chinese authorities to describe their initiative to strengthen infrastructure, trade, financial and cultural exchange and improve connectivity between China and Europe along ancient ‘Silk Road’ trading routes.

Various sessions will look at these two Silk Roads initiated by Mr Xi: the Silk Road Economic Belt to connect China with Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe by rail and road and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Route Economic Belt, which aims to foster collaboration in Southeast Asia, Oceania, and North Africa, through the South China Sea, the South Pacific Ocean, and the wider Indian Ocean area. Both will expand trade ties and open up new business and investment opportunities and are a cornerstone of China’s new political and economic strategy.

Executive Vice Chairman of China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy  and former Ambassador of China to France, the UN and the Netherlands Wu Jianmin is a panellist at ‘The Belt and Road: moving paradigm, addressing opportunities’.

Former President of Indonesia H.E. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

The former President of Indonesia H. E. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will deliver the closing keynote address ‘Will China and ASEAN reshape the New World Order?’

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a Chinese initiative, which 57 nations have signed up to as founding members, is one example of this New World Order, as is the ASEAN Economic Community, to be launched at the end of this year, which will establish ASEAN as a single market and production base making ASEAN more dynamic and competitive.

The Secretary-General of the Boao Forum for Asia and former Chinese Ambassador to the USA H. E. Zhou Wenzhong is one of the panellists at the session, ‘China in the New World Economy – What is next for China and the world?’ This session will look at China’s growth, the impact of that growth on the UK and Europe and the opportunities with RMB internationalisation and how it will impact international trade. It will also examine China’s economic and structural reforms as it emerges as an economic superpower.

The 2015 WCES will also examine challenges and prospects of the Chinese economy, the impact of Chinese outward investments on global growth and the ways in which the Chinese diaspora – the so-called bamboo network – a vital force for economic prosperity and growth in many countries – can be fostered further to generate new business and investment opportunities. The Chinese diaspora can be found in more than 100 countries and accounts for 60 per cent of FDI into China.

Chariman of the Conservative Friends of the Chinese the Rt Hon Lord Nathanael Wei

Chairman of the Conservative Friends of the Chinese and Vice Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary China Group in the UK The Rt Hon Lord Nathanael Wei is a panellist at the session ‘The Power of Business Networking: connecting the diaspora – promoting entrepreneurial growth.’ This session will look at how countries can benefit from the tens of millions of Chinese entrepreneurs and professionals spread around the world, how to enhance networking and business exchanges and drive prosperity.

The Summit will also include discussions on how companies can succeed in China and the pitfalls to avoid.

Other distinguished speakers at the event include the Chairman of the China Council for Promotion of International Trade H. E. Jiang Zengwei;  the Minister of Transport of Malaysia the Hon. Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai; Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Malaysia The Hon. Dato’ Mah Siew Keong, former Prime Minister of Pakistan  and Board Member of the Boao Forum for Asia H.E. Shaukat Aziz, former Minister of State at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office The Rt. Hon.  Lord David Howell; vice chairman of Nomura International plc Sir Andrew Cahn; former chairman of Standard Chartered Bank The Hon. Lord Davies of Abersoch; chairman of Asia House Sir John Boyd; CEO of Asia House Michael Lawrence; and Chief Economic Advisor to the Lord Mayor of London Dr Gerard Lyons.

Other talks of note include ‘The Belt and Road – What’s in it for Asia and Europe?’;  ‘The role of the AIIB- China, Asia and Europe partnership for connectivity and sustainability,’  ‘Rising New Growth of the World: Climate Change, going green and ensuring stability’ and ‘China and the World – Partnership for Growth and Prosperity.’

The WCES, an annual event which was established in 2008, provides an unrivalled opportunity for business leaders and public figures to network and meet Chinese entrepreneurs and investors from around the world and to share ideas, strike deals and do business together.

The World Chinese Economic Summit Lifetime Achievement Award – established in 2011 to honour individuals who have made significant fundamental contributions in their respective field of work and who have provided outstanding contributions over a sustained period of years to the regional and global community – will be handed out at the event.

Previous speakers of note include H.E. Li Yuanchao, the current Vice President of the People’s Republic of China and H.E. Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia.

China Vice President H.E Li Yuanchao is pictured arriving at the 6th WCES held in held in Chongqing, China in December 2014. Photo courtesy ASLI

naomi.canton@asiahouse.co.uk

Registration fees start at £220. To register to attend the 2015 World Chinese Economic Summit click here.

For more details about the WCES 2015 event click here.

To see the WCES 2015 website which carries the full agenda, list of speakers, full details on prices etc click here.

You can tweet about the event @asiahouseuk using the hashtag #WCES2015.