Asia House in Jakarta: ASEAN Business and Investment Summit 2023

Asia House has played a key role at the ASEAN Business & Investment Summit (ABIS) 2023 – an annual private sector forum hosted by the chairing ASEAN member state. The summit, held in Jakarta on 3-4 September, centred around the theme of “ASEAN Centrality: Advancing Towards Greater Inclusivity”, brought together opinion formers, business leaders, and policymakers to chart a path towards a more inclusive and dynamic ASEAN region.

Ambitions for future regional cooperation were delivered by the region’s political leaders, including HE Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister of Vietnam; HE Hun Manet, Prime Minister of Cambodia; HE Sonexay Siphandone, Prime Minister of Laos; and HE Xanana Gusmao, Prime Minister of Timor Leste. Other prominent figures such as HE Tengku Zafrul Aziz, Malaysia’s Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry and HE Alfredo Pascual, the Philippines’ Secretary of Trade and Industry, also shared their aspirations for the region.

Asia House Chief Executive Michael Lawrence OBE moderated an insightful plenary session on “Envisioning ASEAN’s Economic Future: Trends, Transformations and Triumphs”. He was joined by an esteemed panel of industry leaders, including Anindya Bakrie, CEO of Bakrie Group; Le Thi Thu Thuy, Global CEO of VinFast; Zhengjun Zhang, Vice President for Public Affairs and Communication at Huawei Asia Pacific; Axton Salim, Director of Indofood; and Michaela Browning, Vice President of Government and Public Policy at Google Asia Pacific. Together, they engaged in a dynamic discussion that delved into the ever-evolving landscape of this vibrant bloc, exploring the potential growth drivers, emerging industries, and innovative technologies poised to shape their future economy.

Through in-depth discussions and strategic dialogues, ABIS 2023 aimed to bolster business confidence in the region’s growth prospects, even in the face of prevailing global challenges such as economic headwinds, ongoing geopolitical tensions, and global economic fragmentation. By placing a strong emphasis on fostering collaboration and innovation, discussions at the summit set the stage for closer cooperation, particularly on challenging issues, not only for the ASEAN member states, but also for the bloc’s global partners.