China’s Belt & Road Initiative: “Small but Beautiful?”

REGIONAL ECONOMIC STUDIES PROGRAMME

About the Hybrid Seminar

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Southeast Asian countries were significant beneficiaries of China’s FDI under the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI). The pandemic has stalled China’s investment and BRI projects globally. With this year’s reopening, China’s BRI investment flows into Southeast Asia are expected to recover. The much-awaited return of Chinese investments to the region is being met with great expectations but also some concerns. The concerns relate to the potential impacts of BRI on the host countries’ environment and debt levels. In recent years, the Chinese government has tried to address the shortcomings of the initial BRI projects and at the same time promote green development projects, such as renewable energy, technology and electric vehicles.

This webinar will consider these issues and provide an overview of the progress and challenges facing China’s BRI projects in three Southeast Asian countries, namely Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It will examine recent changes and future prospects of BRI projects in these countries and beyond, in light of a slowing Chinese economy.

About the Speakers

• Brian Lee is an economist at Maybank Securities’ research team covering Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore, and overall ASEAN macro thematics research. Prior to joining the firm in March 2022, he spent 5 years as an economist at the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Brian holds double degrees in Economics and Finance from the Singapore Management University.
• Jayant Menon joined the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute as Senior Fellow to continue his work on trade and development in the Asian region, following his early retirement from the ADB in 2020. His last post at the ADB was Lead Economist in the Office of the Chief Economist. He began work life as an academic in Australia, spending almost a decade at the Centre of Policy Studies at Monash University, a leading centre for computable general equilibrium modelling. He has worked at the University of Melbourne, Victoria University, the American University in Washington, DC and the ADB Institute in Tokyo. He holds adjunct appointments with the Australian National University, University of Nottingham, UK and IDEAS, Malaysia. He has authored/edited 15 books, 40 chapters in books and 80 articles in peer-reviewed journals.
• Tham Siew Yean is Visiting Senior Fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore and Professor Emeritus, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. She was formerly Director and Professor of International Trade at Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Her research interests cover trade in goods and services as well as foreign direct investment (FDI), including BRI projects from China in Malaysia. She has served as a consultant with national agencies such as Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) Malaysia, and international agencies such as World Bank, World Bank Institute, ERIA, Asian Development Bank and Asian Development Bank Institute. She has published extensively on trade-related issues in books and journals such as Journal of Contemporary Asia, Emerging Markets, Finance and Trade, Asian Economic Panel and Prague Economic Papers, besides co-editing several books published by international publishing houses. She has a PhD in Economics from University of Rochester, USA.
• Siwage Dharma Negara is a Senior Fellow and Co-Coordinator of the Indonesia Studies Programme at the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute. He is also the Coordinator of the Singapore APEC Study Centre at the same institute. His research focuses on macroeconomic and development issues, industrial and trade policies with a special focus on Indonesia. He co-edited The Riau Islands Province: Setting Sail (2021, ISEAS) and The Indonesian Economy in Transition: Policy Challenges in the Jokowi Era and Beyond (2019, ISEAS). Before joining the institute, he worked as a researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and economist consultant for the World Bank Office Jakarta. He received his PhD (Economics) from the University of Melbourne, Australia.

Registration

This is a hybrid event which will be held at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute (ISEAS).

Attending the Event In-person at ISEAS

To join the event in-person at ISEAS, please register via the ISEAS mobile app, available on iOS and Android via the Apple or Play store. Search “ISEAS” to find or scan this QR code.

Apple Store

Play Store

Seating capacity is limited. Do register early to avoid disappointment.

Attending the Event Virtually via Webinar

To join the event virtually at the specified date and time using your internet devices, please register here to receive your unique login link for the webinar via the zoom platform.

If you have questions for the speaker, please key in your questions via the Q&A, stating your name and affiliation. The moderator will field them to the speakers during the Q&A session.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The article discusses the potential impacts of China’s Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) on Southeast Asian countries, particularly in terms of the environment, debt levels, and green development projects. These issues are directly connected to SDG 9, which focuses on promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation. The concerns about the environmental impacts of BRI projects align with SDG 11, which aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Additionally, the promotion of green development projects, such as renewable energy and electric vehicles, relates to SDG 13, which addresses the urgent need to combat climate change and its impacts. Lastly, SDG 17 emphasizes the importance of partnerships and international cooperation to achieve the sustainable development goals, which is relevant to the discussion of China’s BRI projects in Southeast Asia.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure
• Target 11.4: Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage
• Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning
• Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development

The article highlights the need to develop sustainable infrastructure and address the potential environmental impacts of BRI projects, which aligns with Target 9.1. The concerns about the environmental impacts also relate to Target 11.4, which emphasizes the importance of protecting and safeguarding natural heritage. The promotion of green development projects, such as renewable energy, aligns with Target 13.2, which calls for integrating climate change measures into national policies and planning. Lastly, the discussion of China’s BRI projects in Southeast Asia highlights the importance of international partnerships, which is relevant to Target 17.16.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Investment flows into Southeast Asia under the Belt & Road Initiative
• Progress and challenges facing BRI projects in Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia
• Changes and future prospects of BRI projects in Southeast Asia
• Environmental impacts of BRI projects
• Promotion of green development projects, such as renewable energy and electric vehicles

The article does not explicitly mention specific indicators to measure progress towards the identified targets. However, indicators such as investment flows into Southeast Asia under the Belt & Road Initiative, progress and challenges facing BRI projects in specific countries, changes and future prospects of BRI projects in Southeast Asia, environmental impacts of BRI projects, and the promotion of green development projects can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets.

4. Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: iseas.edu.sg

Join us, as fellow seekers of change, on a transformative journey at https://sdgtalks.ai/welcome, where you can become a member and actively contribute to shaping a brighter future.