The Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center (TASC), Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER) will be holding an International Conference on “Towards an Integrated ASEAN Economic Community: Strategies, Progress, and Prospects for Enhanced Taiwan-ASEAN Economic Collaboration” on October 30, 2013 at the S.C. Tsiang Memorial Hall in CIER, Taipei. With the accelerated deepening and broadening of regional economic integration in the Southeast Asia, the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) envisioned in the 2015 ASEAN Vision is taking shape. The international conference held by CIER will discuss, among the many important issues, four major topics. The first is the national strategies and responses of ASEAN Member States and those of Non-ASEAN countries. Taiwan, as one of the countries not parts of the Community, has different views on the community building. The second topic will be the liberalization of trade in services which has become a challenging issue when ASEAN Member States began to negotiate FTAs with external partner countries. The third topic will deal with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement proposed by ASEAN with its six Dialog Partners and how the RCEP will develop in the timeframe by end of 2015 as mandated by the ASEAN Leaders. The fourth topic will be the development dimensions and issues in the community building. The four less developed ASEAN Member States – Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam – have experienced rapid economic growth in the past few years. However, despite the fact that the regional economic integration offers great opportunities for them to become the region’s economic “rising stars” of tomorrow, the development gaps between the six original ASEAN Member States and the CLMV countries may mitigate the effects and fruits of the integration. The Conference will address the above-mentioned topics, while recognizing an urgent need for Taiwan to learn more about the political and economic developments in the region, strengthen economic and trade links with ASEAN Member States, and seek to identify ways to participate in the integration process. Leading Taiwanese and ASEAN and East Asian scholars and experts will be invited to attend the Conference, to exchange views and discuss issues relating to those most important and timely issues in the region. The Conference aims to help participants to develop a more in-depth understanding of recent developments in the region, while also providing a forum for analysis and formulation of policy recommendations. Time & Venue | Organized by: Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center, Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER), R.O.C. (Taiwan) | | Time: October 30, 2013 | | Venue: S.C. Tsiang Memorial Hall, CIER (75 Chang-Hsing Street, Taipei, Taiwan) | | Supported by: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, R.O.C (Taiwan) | | Online Registration: http://seminar.cier.edu.tw/Regfrm.asp?id=20131030 | | Contact Person: (02)2735-6006 ext. 3121 Ms. CHEN | 
| 08:30-09:00 | Registration | | 09:00-09:10 | Welcome Remarks: Dr. Chung-Shu Wu, President, Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, R.O.C (Taiwan) | | 09:10-09:20 | Guest Remarks: Representative, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, R.O.C. (Taiwan) (inviting) | | Session I: Towards an Integrated ASEAN Economic Community: ASEAN and Non-ASEAN Perspectives | | | Moderator: Dr. Johnny Chi-Chen Chiang, Legislator, The Legislative Yuan, R.O.C. (Taiwan) | | 09:20-09:45 | Speaker: Dr. Somkiat Tangkitvanich, President, Thailand Development Research Institute, Thailand Dr. Saowaruj Rattanakhamfu, Research Fellow, Thailand Development Research Institute, Thailand Topic: Thailand and AEC: Myths, Realities, Opportunities, and Challenges | | 09:45-10:10 | Speaker: Dr. Yih-Chyi Chuang, Dean, College of Social Sciences, National Chengchi University, R.O.C. (Taiwan) Topic: Cross-Strait Economic cooperation and Asian Regional Development | | 10:10-10:40 | Open Floor Discussion | | 10:40-11:00 | Coffee Break | | Session II: Assessing the Services Liberalization in ASEAN – Business Opportunities for Taiwan? | | | Moderator: Amb. Louis W. H. Tzen, Chairman, Cross-Strait Interflow Prospect Foundation, R.O.C (Taiwan) | | 11:00-11:25 | Speaker: Dr. Shankaran Nambiar, Assistant Director, Malaysian Institute of Economic Research, Malaysia | | 11:25-11:50 | Speaker: Ms. Kristy Tsun-Tzu Hsu, Program Director, Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center, Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, R.O.C. (Taiwan) Topic: The Rise of the Service Economy in Southeast Asia: Taiwan’s Perspective | | 11:50-12:20 | Open Floor Discussion | | 12:20-14:00 | Lunch | | Session III: The RCEP – Recent Developments and the Prospects for the Future | | | Moderator: Amb. Benjamin Ho, Director General, Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, R.O.C. (Taiwan) | | 14:00-14:25 | Speaker: Mr. Isono Ikumo, Economist, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia. Topic: Taking ASEAN+1 FTAs towards the RCEP | | 14:25-14:50 | Speaker: Ms. Chun-Fang Hsu, Counselor, Ministry of Economic Affairs, R.O.C. (Taiwan) Topic: Taiwan’s Response to Its Surrounding Regional Frameworks | | 14:50-15:20 | Open Floor Discussion | | 15:20-15:40 | Coffee Break | | Session IV: The Development Issues in the ASEAN Community: The CLMV Countries and the Role of Taiwan | | | Moderator: Amb. Bui Trong Van, Director, Vietnam Economic-Culture Office in Taipei, Vietnam | | 15:40-16:05 | Speaker: Mr. Pou Sovachana, Academic Lecturer, Pannasastra University of Cambodia, Cambodia Topic: The Challenges of the CLMV Countries and the Role of Development Partner | | 16:05-16:30 | Speaker: Dr. Hugh Pei-Hsiu Chen, President, Taiwan Association of Southeast Asian Studies, R.O.C. (Taiwan) Topic: CLMV and the AEC 2015: the Emergence of CLMV and Its Implications to Taiwan | | 16:30-17:00 | Open Floor Discussion | | 17:00 | Conference Adjourn | |
