Global economic crisis and implications for the Asia Pacific region : Senior Policy Seminar 2009

Abstract

The Senior Policy Seminar is a keystone event in the East-West Center's annual calendar. The 2009 seminar, tenth in the series, brought together senior foreign policy officials, private sector leaders, and analysts from countries around the region for nonofficial, frank, and non-attribution discussions of security issues in the Asia Pacific region.

The 2009 Senior Policy Seminar focused on "The Global Economic Crisis and Implications for the Asia Pacific Region." Participants discussed the recovery underway throughout the region and the possibility of some countries adopting new growth strategies. There was considerable discussion about how the economic crisis has affected relations among the major powers. One session was devoted to climate change and energy issues. The seminar also examined the Obama Administration's approach to Asia and looked ahead to raise questions and make some projections about U.S.-Asian relations.

This report presents the rapporteur's summary of the group discussions and the theme sessions. As in past years, the report adheres to the "Chatham House Rule" under which observations referred to in the report are not attributed to any individual participant. All views expressed in these documents are those of the participants and do not necessarily represent either a consensus of all views expressed or the views of the East-West Center.

The principal value of the seminar is always found in the insights and contributions of the participants, both those who made opening presentations at the various sessions and those who participated in the frequently lively discussions. It is their observations that provide the analyses and judgments recorded in this report.