Former US Treasury Secretary warned recently in a speech in Singapore that the U.S. and China are on the brink of a new economic Cold War, suggesting that an “Economic Iron Curtain” might descend through Asia, in which the world's largest two economies begin to decouple from one another at the instigation of President Donald Trump.
This prospect is alarming — but is it likely? Will the present trade war inevitably descend into a ever-steeper cycle of tariffs and rancor, or can a deal be found to save the open, global rules-based trading system? And what impact will this parlous environment have on the outlook for growth, technological development and economic inclusion around emerging Asia? Held as part of the 2018 Asia in the World Economy Roundtable, organised by the Lee Kuan School in association the the Mastercard Inclusve Growth Center, this debate will answer these questions and more.