In the Zone: A new narrative of prosperity and power
1 May 2014 CEO Business Forum – Session Outlines
9am Opening Plenary Session
Asian engagement: Australia’s engagement with Indo-Pacific Asia
Moderator:
 Aiko Doden, Senior Commentator, Japan Broadcasting Corporation
Speakers:
 Hon Colin Barnett MLA, Premier of Western Australia
 Dr Michael Chaney AO, Chancellor of UWA
 Hon Julie Bishop MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs
 Dr Dino Patti Djalal, Former Indonesian Ambassador to the United States
Session Outline:
This session will focus on current events, trends and initiatives that define Australia’s engagement
with the Asian region.
Facilitated discussion will cover:
 Perth’s unique and strategic place at the cross-roads of Indo-Pacific Asia and the opportunities
this brings
 At a national level, the impact of the Prime Minister’s recent visits to the region and implications
of China trip
 The status of new trade agreements and implications for Australia
 The preparedness of the Australian economy to respond to and optimize Asian opportunity
 What further steps Australia can take to optimize Asian engagement.
11am Plenary Session 2
Over the horizon: emerging issues in the zone
Master of ceremonies:
 Aiko Doden, Senior Commentator, Japan Broadcasting Corporation
Moderator:
 Professor Stephen Walt, Harvard Kennedy School of Government
Speakers:
 Hitoshi Tanaka, former Deputy Foreign Minister of Japan
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Peter Varghese, Director General of DFAT
Professor Brahma Chellaney, Center for Policy Research, New Delhi
Session Outline:
This session will focus on issues that could emerge in Asia over the longer term and their implications
and impact on Australia’s relationship with the region.
Facilitated discussion will cover:
 Geopolitical trends in Asia
 Demographics and the impact of ageing populations
 Consumption trends
 Energy demand and security
 Food and water demand and security
Participants will be asked to think laterally about the challenges, opportunities and policy issues
arising from a rapidly changing region.
12noon Plenary Session 3
Smart power: new measures of hard and soft power in the zone
Moderator:
 Bernard Salt, Columnist, The Australian
Speakers:
 Elena Douglas, The University of Western Australia
 Gordon Flake, Perth USAsia Centre
Session Outline:
This session will explore smart power in Australia and the Asian region, the movement of power and
influence to re-emerging Asian economies and the changing nature of power and influence.
UWA will launch a series of indicators comparing hard and soft power in the zone, and an evaluation
of the implications of shifting power patterns in the region.
12.30pm Lunch Plenary
Asia in the next decade: the business point of view
Moderator:
 Geoff Elliot, Business Editor, The Australian
Speakers:
 Andrew Harding, CEO Rio Tinto Iron Ore
 Mark Barnaba, Chairman Macquarie WA
Session Outline:
This session will follow on from the overall theme of Australian engagement with Asia and the
exploration of the challenges and opportunities on the horizon by focusing specifically on a business
perspective of the region.
Geoff Elliott, Business Editor of The Australian will facilitate a question and answer session with key
business leaders with an emphasis on:
 The medium to long term prospects for economic growth in Asia
 The rise of ASEAN countries
 The particular impact of an economic slowdown in China
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The impact of FTAs
The strategic advantages of being a WA based business in the region
Iron ore pricing outlook and preferences
Workforce demographics and diversity
How business optimizes our ability to compete in Asia – what policy settings need to change?
Cultural links and relationships
The lunch session will also include the opportunity for forum delegates to participate in table
discussion aimed at prioritizing issues for inclusion in the In the Zone: Agenda for Action to be
published in The Australian on 10 May.
2pm Plenary Session 4
Security and rights of passage: keeping trade flows in the zone open for business
Moderator:
 Dr Bates Gill, CEO United States Studies Centre
Speakers:
 The Hon Stephen Smith, former Minister for Foreign Affairs and Director, Perth USAsia Centre
 Professor Kim Tae Hyo, former Senior Secretary for National Security, Korea
 Professor Linda Jakobson, Visiting Professor, United States Studies Centre
 Yoichi Kato, National Security Correspondent, The Asahi Shimbun
Session Outline:
This session will focus on traditional security in the region, the challenges of regional conflict and the
opportunities inherent in regional security cooperation in the Indian Ocean and Pacific regions.
The session will reflect on the increasing prominence of the Indo-Pacific region in world affairs.
It will also consider the importance of multilateral cooperation to ensure the critical trade routes on
the Indo-Pacific are kept ‘open for business’.
3.30pm Plenary Session 5
Regional economic growth in the zone: the promise of regional trade architecture
Moderator:
 Gordon Flake, CEO Perth USAsia Centre
Speakers:
 Bruce Gosper, CEO, Austrade
 Yang Xiyu, Senior Research Fellow, China Institute of International Affairs
 Seah Kian Peng, Deputy Speaker, Parliament of Singapore
Session Outline:
This session will address the topical issue of regional trade. It will question how regional trade
architecture could and should be developed to allow a free and competitive market in the broader
Asian region.
It will consider the new bilateral trade agreements that Australia is investing in, the Trans-Pacific
Partnership and the principles underpinning mutually beneficial trade relationships into the future.
4.30pm Concluding Session
The agenda for action
Moderator:
 Aiko Doden, Senior Commentator, Japan Broadcasting Corporation
Speakers:
 Professor Richard Higgott, Vice-Chancellor of Murdoch University
 Professor Paul Johnson, Vice-Chancellor of UWA
Session Outline:
This session will aim to provide a brief overview of the highlights of the day, and the opportunity for
both Vice-Chancellors to reflect on the way forward in terms of actions for government, business and
policy makers to deepen relationships and realize opportunities in Asia.
The Vice-Chancellor of Murdoch will discuss the findings of the recent Murdoch Commission Report
on the engagement of WA and Australia with the Asian region.
The Vice-Chancellor of UWA will provide a summary of the responses from the lunchtime table
discussion and comment on the opportunities for collaboration in addressing the key issues going
forward.
5.30pm Cocktails @ Special Preview of Transcending Borders exhibition at the
Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery