The forum was hosted by KOPEC Co-Chairman Siwook Lee, President of KIEP, and Chul Chung, FKI Research Representative and President of KERI. Wendy Cutler, Vice President of the Asia Society Policy Institute and an expert on U.S. trade, joined the forum as a presenter to discuss the impact of the U.S. presidential election, scheduled for this November, on the U.S.-China economic relations and the Asia-Pacific region.

FKI Vice President Chang Beom Kim said in his welcome speech that the upcoming U.S. presidential election will increase uncertainty in the global economy and have a significant impact on the Asia-Pacific region, including South Korea. Vice President Kim added that he hoped that key economic and trade experts and corporate executives would share insightful opinions at this forum.

KOPEC Co-Chairman Siwook Lee mentioned in his opening remarks that at least 64 countries will hold elections around the world in 2024, and about half of the world’s voters are expected to go to the polls. Co-chairman Lee stressed that amidst the keen attention on how the election results will reshape the international order, the most important issue is the U.S. presidential election in November, which is crucial for U.S.-China relations and the Asia-Pacific region. In this regard, the Forum will be a venue to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the prospects for various fields such as trade, technology, and economic security following the results of the U.S. presidential election.

Under the theme of "U.S.-China Economic Relations and Implications for the Asia-Pacific: Biden vs. Trump," Vice President Wendy Cutler analyzed the similarities and differences between the Biden administration and the former Trump administration. She also discussed the outlook for the upcoming U.S. presidential election and U.S.-China economic relations. Both the Biden and Trump administrations are similar in that they perceive China as an unfair trading partner based on a negative view of China, Vice President Cutler explained, but the policy priorities and how they deal with China will be significantly different.

In the Q&A session, chaired by KOPEC Co-Chairman Chul Chung, the participants held in-depth discussions on the prospects of the U.S.-China relations as well as its impact on the Korean economy and industry. They also discussed the prospects of 'The 13th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13)' to be held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from February 26 to 29, 2024.

Former vice minister-level officials, executives of major companies, and leading experts in economic and trade sectors attended the forum.

- Title: 2024 KOPEC Asia-Pacific Strategy Forum

- Topic: U.S.-China Economic Relations and Implications for the Asia-Pacific: Biden vs. Trump

- Date & Time: February 26, 2024, 7:30 a.m.-9:00 a.m.

- Co-hosts: Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) / Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI)

- Contact: Ms. Soyoung Kwak, Senior Researcher, National Center for APEC Studies (sykwak@kiep.go.kr)