Asian Economic Integration: Reconfiguring Post-Pandemic

Yasuyuki Sawada, chief economist at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), presented one of the ADB’s flagship publications, Asian Economic Integration Report 2021, followed by a Q&A session moderated by PIIE president Adam S. Posen. The report examines how the reconfiguration of supply chains will reshape the global trade landscape after the COVID-19 pandemic and how different foreign direct investment policies can affect cross-border investment flows. It also highlights the importance of regional cooperation and integration to help economies recover and reconnect after the pandemic ends.

Sawada was appointed as the ADB’s chief economist in November 2016 and is the chief spokesperson for the ADB on economic and development trends. Previously, he was professor in the faculty of economics at the University of Tokyo, Japan. He previously worked at the ADB Institute in Tokyo and served as a consultant for various projects at the World Bank Group. Sawada earned a PhD in economics and a master’s degree in international development policy at Stanford University.