Perspectives:Asia seminar

The Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith University and the Australian Centre of Asia-Pacific Art, Queensland Art Gallery  Gallery of Modern Art would like to invite you to:

 

 

 

On an official visit to Jakarta in the first days of October, Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono declared a comprehensive upgrade in their bilateral relationship and backed this with promises of major Chinese investment into Indonesia.  President Xi became the first foreign leader to address the Indonesian Parliament during his visit and he also announced a number of strategic regional economic initiatives, most notably, the plans to form an Asian infrastructure investment bank, to help redeem the region’s massive infrastructure deficit.  Observed from Bali, President Xi’s visit and the Indonesian welcome, was something of a seismic shock, given China’s usual caution in taking leadership positions in international matters and Indonesia’s careful balancing of contemporary great power relations.   The fact that this took place just ahead of the APEC Summit, at the precise moment that US President Barack Obama was forced, for domestic political reasons, to cancel his visit to South East Asia and his participation at APEC, meant that we were witnessing a kind of geo-strategic earthquake.

 

China is hungry for new sources of food supply and for destinations for its investment capital.  Indonesia could be a substantial partner for both and a critical actor in enabling China to be a more effective and respected actor in South East Asia.  Are we seeing the emergence of a new paradigm in Asian regional relations and what are the implications for Australia, the region and the world?

 

Steve Howard is widely acknowledged as a unique global strategy advisor and integrator, passionately committed to encouraging the leadership role of private enterprise and citizens, in working with governments everywhere to help shape global affairs. Over the past 30 years, Steve has led the formation and successful execution of strategy for a number of Australian-based private sector organizations, most notably as founding Secretary General of The Global Foundation from 1998-present, as Executive Director of the Committee for Melbourne from 1989-1995 and as Executive Director of the Sydney Tourism Marketing Board from 1987-1988. 

 

Concurrently, Steve Howard has, for the past 20 years, provided high-level advice to a select number of private and public companies.  In recent years, he has served as Vice-Chairman of the Global Private Equity Alliance, and as Chairman of the advisory body for Australia Network, Australia's international television service.  He is a regular speaker at a number of global private sector and think-tank events, particularly in China. 

 

- Cinema B, Gallery of Modern Art, Stanley Place, South Bank

- Thursday 7 November 2013, 6:00-7:00pm (doors open at 5:30pm)

 

Guests are welcome to join us for refreshments prior to the seminar.  Places are limited, please book early to avoid disappointment.   Please RSVP to Natasha Vary by Monday 4 November  2013 on telephone 07 3735 5322 or email n.vary@griffith.edu.au