Singapore, 17 September 2021 – One RHT, an ecosystem of legal and professional services, consisting of RHTLaw Asia LLP and the RHT Group of Companies, together with the China-ASEAN Business Alliance (CABA), jointly presented the RHT CABA ASEAN Summit 2021 today. The Summit was broadcast to a livestream audience of more than 300 participants.
Now in its 7th year, the Summit continues to explore the region’s most pressing issues. This year’s theme is “ASEAN in the new normal: Advancing towards a more sustainable and resilient future”. More than 30 senior diplomats, business leaders and other expert panellists shared their insights on the pandemic’s impact on the region and the way forward for its recovery.
During her address, Guest-of-Honour Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Finance and National Development, called for countries to cooperate on new areas of economic growth such as the green economy as Covid-19 has accelerated the focus on environmental sustainability.
In August 2021, One RHT unveiled its plan to achieve net zero carbon by 2030 and appointed its first Chief Sustainability Officer. Earlier this year, RHTLaw Asia launched its ESG practice while the RHT Group of Companies launched its sustainability and consulting offering.
Amidst continued US-China tensions, the Summit examined China’s rise and its implications for the region during the keynote address by Professor Kishore Mahbubani, Distinguished Fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Asia Research Institute.
Mr Azman Jaafar, Managing Partner of RHTLaw Asia, said, “We would like to thank our Guest-of-Honour Minister Indranee and Professor Mahbubani for joining us today. This is our 7th Summit and we are thrilled to have more voices from across the region than ever, with top diplomats from New Zealand, Malaysia and the Philippines, as well as senior lawyers from across the ASEAN Plus Group of law firms joining us to share their insights.”
Mr Jayaprakash Jagateesan, Chief Executive Officer of RHT AlDigi Financial Holdings, said, “Covid-19 has accelerated the shift to digital technology and Singapore has the potential to become a hub for the new digital future of finance. The growing adoption of digital assets is a major innovation as it provides a trusted alternative for fundraising and investments that can fuel growth across the region.”
Mr Victor Tay, Chief Executive Officer of CABA, said, “Since 2020, China and ASEAN have become each other’s top trading partners with estimated outbound and inbound investments of $731.9b, especially with the signing of the RCEP economic pact. Economies and business communities have also been impacted in areas of political rebalancing, vaccines diplomacy, international mobility, supply chain issues, fintech and digital opportunities. The Summit reimagines this picture of the new normal.”
