Prof. Xue Presentation at CAREC Think Tanks Development Forum
4th CAREC Think Tanks Development Forum “Trading for Shared Prosperity” was held on 27-28 August 2019| Xi’an, Shaanxi and attracted over 100 participants from think tanks, academia, private sector, and government officials from CAREC countries.
Intra-regional trade is particularly significant today due to the growing trade conflicts among major trading partners. This situation not only threatens to dampen the prospects for global growth prospects; it also weakens the multilateral governance system that has underpinned trade relationships between and among countries over many years. Without question, trade is an overarching economic objective without which there can be no multiple positive consequences. The 4th CTTDF inter-alia identified and discussed the main challenges to trade within the region, among which are the economic implications of the burgeoning trade conflicts among the major global trading partners. An assessment of these tensions identified the necessary policy mechanisms for CAREC member countries to craft positive responses and avert negative consequences to the region.
Prof. Xue in her Speech “Policy Implications for CAREC Region in terms of taxation, licensing and regulations” presented that the new technologies like IoT, big data, AI and blockchain enable CAREC countries to leapfrog in development of e-commerce and digital economy. Appropriate legal and regulatory system are essential for application of new technologies and release their great potential for economy and trade. New laws that provides enabling trade environment, facilities paperless trade and most importantly removes legal barriers will provide the essential legal recognition, support and endorsement for the success of digital economy. The speech was warmly welcomed by the officials and other participants from CAREC countries. Prof. Xue effectively responded to many questions from the audience.
Strengthening and deepening engagement with national stakeholders of CAREC member countries – i.e., think tanks, academia, civil society, and the private sector – is one of the driving principles of the CAREC 2030 Strategy. By serving as the secretariat to the CAREC Think Tanks Network (CTTN), CI fulfills this mandate through active knowledge exchange with regional think tanks, of which CI is also a member. The CTTN organizes the CAREC Think Tanks Development Forum (CTTDF) annually. From its modest beginning in 2016, the CTTDF has grown in size, visibility, and appeal. Now into its fourth year, the forum has become an attractive destination for regional think tanks, universities and researchers to exchange views and knowledge on evolving regional and global policy challenges.
| August 26
06:30 – 08:00 |
Participants Check-in
Welcome Dinner hosted by CI |
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Day One: August 27 |
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| 08:30 – 09:00 | Registration |
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Session I : Opening Ceremony |
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| 09:00 – 09:10 | Welcome Remarks by CI Director |
| 09:10 – 09:20 | Opening Remarks by ADB Vice President |
| 09:20 – 09:30 | Speech by Governor/Deputy Governor of Shanxi Province |
| 09:30 – 09:40 | Keynote Address by Minister/Vice Minister MOF, PRC |
| 09:40 – 10:00 | Group Photo and Coffee Break |
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Session II : Showcasing CAREC Institute’s Output |
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| Moderator:
Ziqian Liang, Deputy Director, CAREC Institute
10:00 – 12:00 |
CAREC Regional Integration Index
Speaker: Dr. Saeed Qadir, Former CI Staff/Research Associate, China, Law and Development Project, China Center, University of Oxford, UK
Alignment, Engagement and Coordination: Building bankable and viable regional cooperation programs in the CAREC region based on Trust Speaker: Dr Nishank Motwani, Senior Research and Communications Manager, Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU), Kabul, Afghanistan
Assessing participation of CAREC countries in Global and Regional Value Chains Speaker: Yaroslava Babych, Head of Macroeconomic Policy Research Center ISET Policy Institute, Assistant Professor of Economics, ISET – International School of Economics, Tbilisi State University, Georgia
The Impact of sanitary, phytosanitary, and quality-related standards on the trade flow between CAREC countries and Georgia Speaker: Dr. Phatima Mamardashvili, Assistant Professor, Head of the Agricultural Policy Research Center, International School of Economics, , Tbilisi State University, Georgia
Opportunities and challenges for Agri-food trade between Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan Speaker: Dr. Zehra Waheed, Director, Centre for Business and Society Assistant Professor, Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB), Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Pakistan Analysis of cooperation in tourism sector between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan; a study of cross-border Value Chains Speaker: Rosa Alieva, Lecturer, Module Leader for Tourism and its Dynamics, Westminster International University in Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Discussion/Q&A |
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Session III : Trade on Ancient Silk Road: A Perspective from Xian |
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| Moderator: tbc
12:00 – 01:00 |
Exploring Trade Opportunities under BRI
Speaker: tbc Standardizing Transport and Logistics along the Silk Road Speaker: tbc
Discussion/Q&A |
| 01:00 – 02:00 | Lunch Break |
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Session IV : Trading for Shared Prosperity: Challenges and Prospects |
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| Moderator: tbc
02:00 – 03:20 |
US-China Trade War – birth of neo-mercantilism
Speaker: Masahiro KAWAI , former Dean ADBI
Impact on Region: Building a counterfactual Speaker: tbc Discussion/ Q&A |
| 03:20 – 03:40 | Coffee Break |
| 03:40 – 05:00 | CAREC Integrated Trade Agenda (CITA) 2030: Key Pillars and Strategic Action Plan
Speaker: tbc Discussion/Q&A |
| 06:30 – 07:30 | Dinner hosted by Shanxi Government |
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Day Two: August 28 |
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| 08:30 – 08:45 | Registration |
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Session V : New Technologies: Policy Implications for the CAREC Region |
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| Moderator: tbc
08:45 – 10:15 |
Evaluating impact of new technologies on transforming trade
Speaker: Ian Watt, Vice Chair, the UN Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT), United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Australia
Policy Implications for CAREC Region in terms of taxation, licensing and regulations Speaker: Dr. Hong Xue, Director of Beijing Normal University Institute for Internet Policy & Law (IIPL), Co-Director of UNCITRAL-BNU Joint Certificate Program on International E-Commerce Law Discussion/Q&A |
| 10:15 – 10:30 | Coffee Break |
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Session VI: Embracing E-commerce |
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| Moderator: tbc
10:30 – 12:00 |
Readiness of CAREC Region for embracing E-commerce
Speaker: tbc E-commerce: Key takeaways form China’s experience Speaker: tbc Discussion/Q&A |
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Session VI : CAREC Think Tanks Network (CTTN) |
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12:00 – 12:50 |
Strategizing CTTN and the Forum
CTTN Progress and Roadmap Speaker: Ziqian Liang, Deputy Director, CAREC Institute |
| 12:50 – 01:00 | Closing Remarks by CI Director |
| 01:00 – 02:00 | Lunch Break |
| 02:00 – 05:00 | Networking & Visit to Terracotta Army Museum |