Do We Need a New Asia Strategy?
VIEW EVENT DETAILSHow Europe Reacts to Asia’s Rise
Asia’s economic and political power growth is challenging European politics abroad and at home. Germany and Switzerland have found different ways of coping with the rise of Asia – while also profiting from it. But critical voices in both countries deplore a lack of strategy and a missing response to the state-led Asian economic activities. How should the continent react?
Two practitioners from the diplomatic field deliver insights into Europe's relationship with the Asia-Pacific: German Ambassador Dr. Norbert Riedel and Swiss Ambassador Johannes Matyassy. Join the discussion of how the Asian policies of Germany and Switzerland compare and what can be learned from each other. Moderated by Mark Dittli, former chief editor of "Finanz und Wirtschaft" and current editor at "Republik".
This event will be held in German.
Ambassador Dr. Norbert Riedel, current German Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and former official responsible for Asia-Pacific in the German Federal Foreign Office. Looking back at more than 25 years in the Foreign Office, he was posted in Bulgary, Portugal and China as well as in different departments, among them the department of European Union, visa policies, cyber foreign politics. Since 2005, he is an honorary professor at the University of Würzburg.
Ambassador Johannes Matyassy is Assistant State Secretary for Asia-Pacific in the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. He looks back on a successful career of 30 years in the Swiss Federal Department of Economic and Foreign Affairs: Starting his diplomatic career in Buenos Aires, he acted in the International Trade-GATT Division, and worked as personal advisor to Federal Councillor Jean-Pascal Delamuraz. After being nominated Ambassador he was CEO of Presence Switzerland, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Switzerland to Argentina.
Mark Dittli is editor-in-chief of the Swiss online magazine Republik. From 2000 until 2017 he worked as editor of the "Finanz und Wirtschaft", the last six years as editor-in-chief and from 2003 until 2008 as correspondent in New York. He studied business management in Zurich and journalism in New York.