Seminar: Asia Pacific Regional Economic Outlook
About the Seminar
Asia remains the most dynamic part of the global economy but is facing severe headwinds from a still weak global recovery, slowing global trade, and the short-term impact of China’s growth transition. Still, the region is well positioned to meet the challenges ahead, provided it strengthens its reform efforts. To strengthen its resilience to global risks and remain a source of dynamism, policymakers in the region should push ahead with structural reforms to raise productivity and create fiscal space while supporting demand as needed.
The potential spillovers from China’s rebalancing on regional economies and financial markets are also assessed. Overall, the region has become more sensitive to the Chinese economy. While China’s rebalancing will have medium-term growth benefits, there are likely to be adverse short-term effects, though the impact will be relatively more positive for economies more exposed to China’s consumption demand. Financial spillovers from China to regional markets—in particular equity and foreign exchange markets—have risen since the global financial crisis and are stronger for those economies with stronger trade linkages.
About the Speakers
Topic: Building on Asia’s Strengths during Turbulent Times
Ranil Salgado is a currently the chief of the Regional Studies Division in the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Department (APD). The division is responsible for regional surveillance, including production of the Fund’s Asia and Pacific Regional Outlook and Update, and helping develop and implement the department’s strategic priorities. He has been in the IMF for almost 20 years. In earlier years, he was the IMF mission chief to Marshall Islands and Myanmar; was the IMF Resident Representative in Singapore; and worked as part of the country teams on Australia, Canada, Dominica, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, and the United States. He also served in the Research Department on multilateral surveillance and the World Economic Outlook; and in the Strategy, Policy, and Review Department leading or helping lead work on trade and capital flow issues; conditionality in IMF-supported programs; and IMF policies on jobs, growth, and inclusion; along with, for a period, approving country staff papers on 20-30 IMF member countries, including several with IMF programs. Prior to joining the IMF, he worked in a strategy management consulting firm and as teaching and research assistants at the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Harvard University, Cambridge University, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Topic: Navigating the Transition: Trade and Financial Spillovers from China
Tidiane Kinda is currently economist in the Regional Studies Division of the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Department (APD) and also serves as Assistant to the Director of the department. He joined the IMF in 2009 and was in the African Department and the Fiscal Affairs Department before moving to APD. He worked on advanced, emerging, and low-income countries in the context of surveillance, IMF-supported programs, and technical assistance, including the Euro Area, Canada, Croatia, Peru, Moldova, Chad, and Mali. He contributed to the IMF’s key documents and publications such as the Fiscal Monitor, the Asia and Pacific Regional Economic Outlook, the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Economic Outlook, and the Vulnerability Exercise for Advanced Economies. Prior to the IMF, Tidiane worked in the World Bank’s Research Department and the Research Division of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO). He (co)authored 3 books and more than 15 articles in refereed economic journals. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from CERDI-Université de Clermont in France, where he taught macroeconomics and applied econometrics.
Registration
For registration, please fill in this form and email to iseasevents3@iseas.edu.sg by 5 May 2016.