[WEBCAST] The Impact of COVID-19 on Asia's Growth and Supply Chains: A View From the World Bank

This program is part of the Asia Society Policy Institute's (ASPI) series entitled "Coronavirus, Asia, and the World." ASPI presents web-only programs twice weekly to analyze the scope of the ramifications from the novel coronavirus across the Asia-Pacific region and the world. All events will be live-streamed on YouTube and Facebook. For information about future events in this series and for ASPI's additional coronavirus content see here.

Recently released World Bank forecasts predict that 2020 will be a dismal year for worldwide growth, with the global economy shrinking 5.2 percent. As many experts expect that Asia will emerge from the pandemic first, what might that mean for the region's potential economic expansion? Then, looking beyond the initial recovery, what are the chances that businesses might permanently shift their supply chains as a result of the pandemic, and what impact would that have on Asia's growth? Furthermore, what is the World Bank's role in meeting development challenges, and how do its economic analyses affect the Bank's thinking on that front?  

Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) will host a web event with Aaditya Mattoo, the World Bank's Chief Economist for East Asia and the Pacific, joined in conversation with ASPI Vice President Wendy Cutler. The two will discuss the global economic ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular eye on the Asia-Pacific region and what its economic future might look like.

SPEAKERS

Aaditya Mattoo is Chief Economist of the East Asia and Pacific Region of the World Bank. He specializes in development, trade, and international cooperation, and provides policy advice to governments. He is also Co-Director of the World Development Report 2020 on Global Value Chains. Prior to this he was Research Manager, Trade and Integration, at the World Bank. Before he joined the Bank, Mr. Mattoo was Economic Counsellor at the World Trade Organization and taught economics at the University of Sussex and Churchill College, Cambridge University.

Wendy Cutler joined the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) as Vice President in November 2015. She also serves as Managing Director of the Washington, D.C. Office. She joined ASPI following an illustrious career of nearly three decades as a diplomat and negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). Most recently she served as Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, working on a range of U.S. trade negotiations and initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region. In that capacity she was responsible for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, including the bilateral negotiations with Japan. She also was the chief negotiator to the U.S.-Korea (Korus) Free Trade Agreement.