The Future of Asia, Nikkei’s flagship annual conference, opens Thursday in Tokyo, bringing together political and business luminaries from across the region to discuss this year’s theme: Asian leadership in an uncertain world.
Thursday’s first speaker, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, is attending the forum for the first time since he took office in November 2022. Possible topics to be covered in his session include the ongoing U.S.-China tensions and the crisis in the Middle East.
In an interview with Nikkei Asia in December, the prime minister urged the international community to push for a humanitarian cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. Muslim-majority Malaysia has consistently expressed support for the Palestinian cause for decades.
Other political leaders due to speak on Thursday include Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai, Mongolian Parliament Chairman Gombojav Zandanshatar and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol.
From the business community, Chey Tae-won, chairman of South Korea’s SK Group, will share his perspective. Chey oversees the conglomerate’s broad business areas such as semiconductors, telecommunications and energy. He will sit down for a discussion with Takeshi Niinami, CEO of Japanese beverage maker Suntory Holdings.
Japan and South Korea are enjoying a relatively warm period in their relationship despite decades of simmering tensions over interpretations of history, as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol pursues a policy of rapprochement.
Other topics to be covered during the first day’s panel discussions include international collaboration in higher education, the U.S.-South Korea-Japan trilateral partnership, and cross-border digital cooperation.
