The ASEAN Post runs an article with the title “WEF on ASEAN: Asking the difficult questions” which mentioned advantages and challenges of the region in the current circumstance, as well as difference the forum would bring for Asia’s third fastest-growing economies.
“Looking back, ASEAN helped transform Southeast Asia from an area of enmity into a region of amity; from a pocket of poverty into a land of opportunities, and; from a zone of instability into an ecosystem of peace, stability, and prosperity,” said Retno Marsudi, Foreign Minister of Indonesia, succinctly of ASEAN’s transformation.
While ASEAN as a bloc may still be behind some of the world’s major players such as the United States (US), China and the European Union (EU), the region is quickly catching up.
ASEAN has embraced with open arms the Fourth Industrial Revolution by quickly establishing itself as a tech hub with a robust tech start-up scene. It is already home to a number of unicorns - start-ups valued at USD1 billion and above - such as Grab, Sea and Go-Jek.
As the impressions of the economics, importance and influence of ASEAN are increasingly expanded globally, Southeast Asia has received unprecedented attention from global powers, namely the US and China.
The News raised some big questions which ASEAN would face as the region, fast forwarding into the 21st century at lightning pace, such as: Will automation lead to mass unemployment? Can ASEAN become the next global hub for technology? What is the future of democracy in the region?
With the theme of “ASEAN 4.0: Entrepreneurship and the Fourth Industrial Revolution”, WEF ASEAN 2018 attracts more than 1,000 people, including six presidents or prime ministers.
It is a platform for government leaders and Asian entrepreneurs to discuss and share their vision for the future - especially as we stand on the cusp of the Industry 4.0.
As the host and co-chair of the WEF ASEAN, Vietnam has included many issues it believes are key to ASEAN, such as innovative start-ups, infrastructure and smart cities, employment in Industry 4.0, human resources development, and hi-tech agriculture.
With nearly 60 discussions, the forum is also considered a festival for member states to promote a positive image of ASEAN countries, convey their messages about the common house of the ASEAN Community with diverse cultures, diverse peoples, strong solidarity, a shared vision and a shared identity./.