Conference & Forum
East Asia Forum 2025 and Talk China Seminar
23 Sep 2025 - 24 Sep 2025 Beijing, People's Republic of China
ADB’s East Asia Forum (EAF) is an annual event organized by the East Asia Department (EARD) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The forum aims to share lessons from ADB’s operations and knowledge work in East Asia—with special emphasis on the People’s Republic of China (PRC)—with a wider audience. In the spirit of South-South learning, the EAF facilitates the exchange of ideas and practices among key stakeholders in Asia and the Pacific. It is supported by EARD-administered technical assistance and various funding sources, including the People’s Republic of China’s Poverty Reduction and Regional Cooperation Fund (PRCF).
The East Asia Forum 2025, with the theme “Advancing High-Quality Development in East Asia: Productivity, Innovation, and Economic Openness,” aims to:
- Share knowledge and good practices from East Asia on enhancing productivity, driving innovation, and promoting economic openness, notably in the service sector.
- Discuss key trends in achieving high-quality economic development.
- Explore innovative practices, policies, and technologies to increase productivity, encourage innovation, and further open economic sectors.
- Encourage replication of successful experiences from the PRC and other East Asian economies across other ADB members.
The ADB–PRC Regional Knowledge Sharing Initiative (RKSI) is a South–South platform jointly established by the Ministry of Finance of the PRC and ADB to promote development knowledge exchange among ADB’s developing member countries. As part of its efforts, RKSI organizes the Talk China Seminar Series, a quarterly event that brings together experts and policymakers to explore pressing development issues. The upcoming session- the third in the series- will focus on harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) for high-quality development, featuring expert discussions and field visits to AI sites in Beijing.
Venue: Kerry Hotel, Beijing
Agenda
| Date/Time | Session | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30-9:00 | Registration | ||
| 9:00-9:30 | Welcome Remarks Scott Morris, Vice-President (East and Southeast Asia, and the Pacific), ADB Distinguished Guest Speaker Liao Min, Vice Minister of Finance, People’s Republic of China Vice Minister, Development Research Center of the State Council (DRC), People’s Republic of China (TBC) | ||
| 9:30-9:35 | Photo Session | ||
| 9:35-9:50 | Setting the Stage: Enhancing Productivity and Openness in East Asia and Beyond Chong-En Bai, Dean of the School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University | ||
| 9:50-10:20 | Coffee/Tea Break | ||
| 10:20-12:40 | Session 1: Boosting Productivity through Competition and Innovation: Experience from the PRC and Other Countries Presentation 1: Boosting Total Factor Productivity through Competition and Innovation: Experience of the PRC Bert Hofman, National University of Singapore, former Country Director of World Bank, PRC, and former Chief Economist for the World Bank in the East Asia and Pacific region Presentation 2: Australia’s Experience in Boosting Productivity and Competitiveness Catie Bradbear, Assistant Commissioner, Australian Productivity Commission Panel Discussion Moderator: Scott Morris, Vice-President (East and Southeast Asia, and the Pacific), ADB Panelists:
Q and A | ||
| 12:40-2:30 | Lunch break | ||
| 2:30-4:30 | Session 2: Expanding Economic Openness and Service Sector Liberalization in the PRC and Experience from Other Countries Presentation 1: Shamshad Akhtar, former Minister of Finance, Government of Pakistan; former Executive Secretary of UNESCAP Presentation 2: Opening the PRC’s Services Industry for Innovative and Shared Development Hildegunn Kyvik Nordås, Visiting Professor, Örebro University, Sweden; Senior Associate, Council on Economic Policies (CEP), Switzerland Panel Discussion Moderator: Justine Diokno-Sicat, Alternate Executive Director, ADB Panelists:
Q and A | ||
| 4:30-4:45 | Closing Remarks Shu Zhan, Alternate Executive Director, ADB | ||
| 4:45 onwards | Networking Reception, Ballroom 3 Foyer, Kerry Hotel |
| Date/Time | Session | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00-9:10 | Opening Remarks Muhammad Ehsan Khan, Director General, East Asia Department, ADB Shu Zhan, Alternate Executive Director, ADB | ||
| 9:10-10:10 | Session 1: What Experiences from the PRC Can be Learned and Replicated in the Region Presentation: Promoting AI Applications for High-Quality Development in the PRC High-level official from Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the PRC Panel Discussion: Moderator: Aiming Zhou, Deputy Country Director, ADB PRC Resident Mission Panelists
| ||
| 10:10-10:30 | Tea Break, Ballroom 3 Foyer, Kerry Hotel | ||
| 10:30-11:30 | Session 2: How ADB Can Support DMCs with AI Application to Promote High-Quality Development Presentation: ADB’s Role in Promoting AI Application in the Region Albert Park, Chief Economist and Director General, Economic Research and Development Impact Department, ADB Panel Discussion: Moderator: Bobur Alimov, Advisor, EARD, ADB Panelists:
| ||
| 11:30-13:00 | Lunch break | ||
| 13:00-14:00 | Departure from the Kerry Hotel for site visit | ||
| 14:00-16:30 | Site visit: Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robotics, Beijing High-level Autonomous Driving Demonstration (BJHAD) Zone Innovation and Operation Center, to experience the WeRide Autonomous Bus. | ||
| 16:30-17:30 | Return to the hotel |
