On March 15, NordCham Philippines and Royal Embassy of Denmark in Manila, together with BDO Unibank and John Clements Consultants held a seminar “Trump & Brexit – What do these mean for EU and ASEAN” at the BDO Corporate Center, Makati City.
Following the welcome remarks by Ambassador Jan Top Christensen, Royal Embassy of Denmark in Manila, Professor Jørgen Ørstrøm Møller, adjunct faculty of Singapore Management University and Copenhagen Business School, provided the keynote discussion on the effects of the recent political changes, such as the election of President Trump and Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union (EU)
In his discussion, Prof. Ørstrøm Møller believes that despite the uncertainties over the future of the EU there are no indications of other members leaving the union. The EU is even renewing and retooling the integration to respond and support opportunities in the global economic system. He concluded that recent developments, such as Brexit and the election of Trump, are revolts against current social system and how it distributed the fruits of globalization.
In terms of Southeast Asia, though seen as equally dependent on globalization as the EU and strong trade ties with the U.S., China plays a much larger role in this region of Asia. The EU and ASEAN should look into forming a strategic partnership poised to “defend globalization and global institutions”.
ANC’s video feature of the event can be found here.
