Details
This international seminar brought together experienced voices from across the Indo–Pacific to discuss prospects for sustainable economic integration. In the context of evolving trade arrangements, reciprocal tariffs, emerging powers, and rapid digitalization, the seminar explored opportunities for cooperation that promote inclusive growth and stability. Participants examined practical ways to strengthen open markets, encourage innovation, and balance national priorities with shared interests. Designed as a neutral platform for dialogue, the seminar aimed to generate constructive insights and forward-looking recommendations to support a resilient, rules-based regional economy responsive to today’s dynamic global landscape and concluded with a public seminar that presented insights and policy ideas for building a resilient, rules-based regional economy in an increasingly dynamic global landscape to a broader audience.
Agenda
Wednesday, December 3 2025
Welcome Remarks
- Mr. Paul Linnarz, Country Representative Japan, Director Regional Economic Programme Asia (SOPAS, KAS)
Session 1: IPEF and Trade Policy in the First Year of Trump 2.0: Developments and Outlook
Lead Remarks:
- Dr. Peter Draper, Professor and Executive Director, Institute for International Trade (IIT) in the Faculty of the Professions, University of Adelaide, Australia
- Mr. Pradeep Mehta, Secretary General, Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS), India
Moderated by Mr. Shojiro Kusumoto, Project Manager, KAS Japan SOPAS
Session 2: Evolving Global Power Dynamics and the Future of EU–Indo–Pacific Relations
Lead Remarks:
- Dr. Alberto Prina Cerai, Junior Research Fellow, Geoeconomics Observatory, Italina Institute for International Political Studies, Italy
- Ms. Anita Prakash, Director for Partnership, ERIA (Economic Research Forum for ASEAN und East Asia, Indonesia
- Dr. Mia Mikic, Senior Advisor-at-Large, ARTNeT, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP); Research Associate, Waikato University, New Zealand
- Mr. Shintaro Hamanaka, Senior Research Fellow, IDE-JETRO, Japan
Moderated by Mr. Shojiro Kusumoto, Project Manager, KAS Japan SOPAS
Session 3: Country Perspectives on U.S. Trade Measures and Regional Economic Dynamics
Lead Remarks:
- Dr. Francis Mark Quimba, Senior Research Fellow (PIDS); Director of Philippine APEC Study Center Network, PIDS, Philippines
- Mr. Dinh Tuan Minh, Research Director of the Market Solutions Research Center for Social and Economic Issues (MASSEi), Vietnam
- Dr. Sineenat Sermcheep, Director of ASEAN Studies Center, Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
- Mr. Kunihiko Shinoda, Professor and Executive Advisor of the GRIPS Alliance at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Japan
Moderated by Mr. Shojiro Kusumoto, Project Manager, KAS SOPAS
Session 4: Key Economic Powers in the Indo–Pacific: China, India, and Regional Dynamics
Lead Remarks:
- Dr. Prabir De, Professor, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), India
- Ms. Kristy Tsun-Tzu Hsu, Director, Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center, Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, Taiwan
- Mr. Stephen Olson, Visiting Fellow, ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore
- Dr. Stephen Nagy, Professor, Division of Arts and Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, International Christian University, Japan
Moderated by Mr. Shojiro Kusumoto, Project Manager, KAS SOPAS
Closing of Seminar Day 1
Thursday, December 4 2025
Session 5: Advancing Digital Integration: ASEAN and Beyond
Lead Remarks:
- Dr. Sineenat Sermcheep, Director of ASEAN Studies Center, Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
- Dr. Jiwei Qian, Senior Research Fellow, East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore
- Dr. Francis Mark Quimba, Senior Research Fellow (PIDS); Director of Philippine APEC Study Center Network, PIDS, Philippines
Moderated by Mr. Shojiro Kusumoto, Project Manager, KAS SOPAS
Session 6: Pathways Toward Sustainable Economic Integration in Indo–Pacific
Lead Remarks:
- Dr. Mia Mikic, Senior Advisor-at-Large, ARTNeT, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP); Research Associate, Waikato University, New Zealand
- Dr. Alberto Prina Cerai, Junior Research Fellow, Geoeconomics Observatory, Italina Institute for International Political Studies, Italy
- Ms. Anita Prakash, Director for Partnership, ERIA (Economic Research Forum for ASEAN und East Asia, Indonesia
Moderated by Mr. Shojiro Kusumoto, Project Manager, KAS SOPAS
16:30 Public Event: Future of Global Trade in an Era of Shifting U.S. Engagement, Emerging Powers, and Digital Innovation
Opening Remarks:
- Mr. Paul Linnarz, Country Representative Japan, Director Regional Economic Programme Asia (SOPAS), KAS Japan
16:40 The Future of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
Speaker:
- Mr. Pradeep Mehta, Secretary General, Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS), India
16:55 “The Future of Global Trade in an Era of Shifting U.S. Engagement and Emerging Powers”
Speaker:
- Dr. Peter Draper, Professor and Executive Director, Institute for International Trade (IIT) in the Faculty of the Professions, University of Adelaide, Australia
17:10 Panel Discussion: Indo-Pacific Economy and its Prospects
- Dr. Dinh Tuan Minh, Research Director of the Market Solutions Research Center for Social and Economic Issues (MASSEi), Vietnam
- Dr. Prabir De, Professor, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), India
- Dr. Jiwei Qian, Senior Research Fellow, East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore
- Mr. Stephen Olson, Visiting Fellow, ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore
Moderation:
- Mr. Shojiro Kusumoto, Project Manager, KAS SOPAS
17:55 Closing Announcement by Mr. Shojiro Kusumoto, Project Manager, KAS SOPAS
