ASEAN+3 Finance Think-tank Network (AFTN) Seminar

The inaugural ASEAN+3 Finance Think-tank Network (AFTN) Seminar, themed “Dawn of a New Age in the ASEAN+3?”, focuses on the economic and financial implications of population aging and corresponding policy recommendations, with emphasis on its medium- and long-term impact on economies in the region. The hybrid seminar is jointly organized by AMRO and the Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences (CAFS), and supported by Shanghai National Accounting Institute (SNAI).

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Program

Time
Program

* All times below refer to China Standard Time

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM

Registration

9:30 AM – 9:45 AM

9:45 AM – 10:30 AM

Morning Session

Keynotes Speeches: “Dawn of a New Age in the ASEAN+3?”
(10–15 minutes per speaker)

 

10:30 AM – 11:00 AM

Break

11:00 AM – 12:15 PM

Expert Panel: “Coping with Population Aging – Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities”
(10 minutes per panelist followed by Q&A)

Population aging, a worldwide phenomenon, is also affecting many ASEAN+3 economies, irrespective of their development levels. An aging population poses a myriad of economic challenges, including low long-run growth and productivity; higher healthcare costs; and strained public finances from rising public pension and medical provision costs amid lower tax revenues. However, it could also spur reform and innovation to address the problems or mitigate the impact (e.g., pension privatization, capital market development, automation, artificial intelligence) and even improve efficiency and overall quality of life.

Moderator:

Hoe Ee Khor, Chief Economist, AMRO

Panelists:

 

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12:15 PM – 2:00 PM

Lunch Break

2:00 PM – 3:15 PM

Afternoon Session

Research Panel I: “Population Aging – Productivity and Digitalization”
(10 minutes per presenter followed by comments and discussion)

Moderator:

Allen Ng, Group Head, Regional Surveillance Group, AMRO

Paper 1: Kartini Rahman and Sufrizul Husseini, Centre for Strategic and Policy Studies (CSPS), Brunei Darussalam
“Population Age Structure Change and Labour Productivity: Evidence from Brunei Darussalam” | Presentation

Paper 2: Aruhan Shi and Hongyan Zhao, AMRO
“Population Aging in the ASEAN+3: But is 60 the New 40?” | Presentation

Paper 3: June Park, Middle East Council on Global Affairs
“Overcoming the Digital Divide in Finance for the Aging Population in South Korea on the Path toward CBDCs” | Presentation

Paper 4: Yixin Yao and Xia Chen, Asian Development Bank Institute
“Smart Elderly Care Platforms in China: Practice, Challenges, and Optimization Path” | Presentation

Commentators:
1. Ngoc Tien Dao, Vice-President, Foreign Trade University (FTU), Vietnam
2. Anne Oeking, Advisor to Director, Office of the Asia and Pacific, IMF | Presentation
3. Jungwook Kim, Executive Director, Center for International Development, Korea Development Institute (KDI) | Presentation

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3:15 PM – 3:30 PM

Break

3:30 PM – 4:45 PM

Research Panel II: “Population Aging – Growth, Public Finance, and Health”
(10 minutes per presenter followed by comments and discussion)

Moderator:

Diana Cheong, Executive Director, CSPS

Paper 1: Fan Zhai, AMRO
“Macroeconomic Implications of China’s Population Aging: A Dynamic General Equilibrium Analysis” | Presentation

Paper 2: Wen Xu, CAFS
“Analysis of Fiscal Policy in Dealing with the Trend of Aging Population in China” | Presentation

Paper 3: Dek Joe Sum, AMRO
“Fiscal Management of Social Protection Systems in Selected Asean+3 Economies” | Presentation

Paper 4: Neil Fidelle G. Lomibao and Faith Christina Q. Cacnio, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)
“Can Filipino Senior Citizens Financially Cover Their Medication Needs? Some Learnings and Policy Implications” | Presentation

Commentators:
1. Li Xing, Vice President, CAFS | Presentation
2. Chi Hun Lee, Director, Korea Center for International Finance (KCIF)
3. Henry Mak, Senior Manager, Hong Kong Institute for Monetary and Financial Research (HKIMR)

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4:45 PM – 5:05 PM

Experience Sharing

Chunming Wang, Director, Smart Hospital Development Department, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medical
Watch Replay | Presentation

5:05 PM – 5:15 PM

Closing Remarks

Li Xing, Vice President, CAFS
Watch Replay

Speakers

Wenbin Lu

President, Shanghai National Accounting Institute (SNAI)

Kouqing Li

Director, AMRO

Shangxi Liu

President, Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences (CAFS)

Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana

Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)

Albert Park

Chief Economist, Asian Development Bank

Tetsushi Sonobe

Dean, Asian Development Bank Institute

Hoe Ee Khor

Chief Economist, AMRO

Maria Ana Lugo

Lead Economist and Program Leader for Human Development for China, Mongolia and South Korea, the World Bank Group

Sukho Lee

Senior Research Fellow, Korea Institute of Finance (KIF)

Aiko Kikkawa

Senior Economist, Economic Research and Development Impact Department, ADB

Allen Ng

Group Head, Regional Surveillance Group, AMRO

Margit Molnar

Head of China Desk, Economics Department, OECD

Kartini Rahman

Centre for Strategic and Policy Studies (CSPS), Brunei Darussalam

Sufrizul Husseini

Centre for Strategic and Policy Studies (CSPS), Brunei Darussalam

Aruhan Shi

Associate Economist, AMRO

Hongyan Zhao

Senior Economist, AMRO

June Park

Middle East Council on Global Affairs

Yixin Yao

Asian Development Bank Institute

Xia Chen

Asian Development Bank Institute

Ngoc Tien Dao

Vice-President, Foreign Trade University (FTU), Vietnam

Anne Oeking

Advisor to Director, Office of the Asia and Pacific, IMF

Jungwook Kim

Executive Director, Center for International Development, Korea Development Institute (KDI)

Diana Cheong

Executive Director, CSPS

Fan Zhai

Senior Economist, AMRO

Wen Xu

CAFS

Dek Joe Sum

Associate Economist, AMRO

Neil Fidelle G. Lomibao

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)

Faith Christina Q. Cacnio

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)

Li Xing

Vice President, CAFS

Chi Hun Lee

Director, Korea Center for International Finance (KCIF)

Henry Mak

Senior Manager, Hong Kong Institute for Monetary and Financial Research (HKMIR)

Chunming Wang

Director, Smart Hospital Development Department, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University

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