It looks like free trade is back –at least in Asia: In November 2020, 15 Asian countries signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), arguably the largest free-trade agreement in history. Shortly after, China’s President Xi Jinping publicly floated the idea of China joining CPTPP –another free-trade agreement dominated by Asian countries. What are the effects these agreements will likely have on the world economy, and on Switzerland? Which trade agenda will the Biden administration pursue in Asia? And what is the geopolitical significance of increasing intra-Asian trade?

Join us for an exclusive roundtable conversation with Wendy Cutler, Vice President of the Asia Society Policy Institute, and Patrick Ziltener, free trade expert and professor at the University of Zurich.

Please note that this is planned as a hybrid event (changes may occur): Wendy Cutler will join remotely from Washington, D.C. You can attend the event either live at our office or dial in via Zoom.

This event is for Passport Members of Asia Society only. How to become a Passport member?

Wendy Cutler is Vice President of the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) and Managing Director of the Washington D.C. Office. In these roles, she focuses on building ASPI’s presence in Washington —strengthening its outreach as a think/do tank —and on leading initiatives that address challenges related to trade and investment, as well as women’s empowerment in Asia. She joined ASPI following an illustrious career of nearly three decades as a diplomat and negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). Most recently she served as Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, working on a range of U.S. trade negotiations and initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region. In that capacity she was responsible for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, including the bilateral negotiations with Japan. She also was the chief negotiator to the U.S.-Korea (Korus) Free Trade Agreement. Cutler received her master’s degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and her bachelor’s degree from the George Washington University.

Patrick Ziltener is Associate Professor at the University of Zurich and Lecturer and University Councillor at the University St. Gallen. He has analyzed multi- and bilateral Free Trade Agreements (FTA) for more than 15 years, in cooperation with Switzerland Global Enterprise, Chambers of Commerce and other trade-related organizations. From 2006 to 2009 he was State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) Senior Advisor for Economic Relations with East Asia and Secretary of the Free Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (FTEPA) Switzerland-Japan negotiations.