Credit Suisse Asia Pacific CEO, Helman Sitohang, said: “At a time when markets are volatile and economic prospects remain uncertain, our clients require analysis, insight and interpretation more than ever – and at the AIC, we seek to provide answers to some of the biggest questions facing investors today. This year we have brought together a diverse group of highly informed and influential leaders, providing insight into future economic policies, market trends and political outcomes – all vital information that contributes to our clients’ success.”

More than 3,000 attendees are expected to join this year’s AIC, including representatives from over 300 companies and 2,000 investors with some USD18 trillion in assets under management. Some 6,500 private meetings and workshops with clients and corporates are expected to take place during the four-day conference, offering unrivalled corporate access to complement the AIC’s thematic keynote addresses and panels, as well as presentations from Credit Suisse’s highly-ranked economic, sector and market strategy research experts.

This year, the conference will examine a series of pressing topics including the implications of the slowdown in China, the reform process in India, and what the commodity cycle means for the region and globally. Ongoing geopolitical tensions around the world will also be discussed, as they continue to roil markets, as well as the risk of Brexit, among many other themes.

Among the speakers, Credit Suisse is pleased to welcome Jin Liqun, the first President and Chairman of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a new multilateral investment financing platform launched by China in January. He will discuss the role the AIIB will play in addressing the infrastructure spending gap in Asia and the investment opportunities the Bank could create for the private sector.

China’s economic transition will be a major focus of the AIC, and issues from the management of the financial sector, the development of supply side economic policies, and the increasing complexity of managing China’s rising debt levels will be addressed by a range of experts. Dr. Jia Kang, Head of the China Academy of New Supply-Side Economics and former Director at the Research Institute for Fiscal Science in the Ministry of Finance will discuss the implications of President Xi’s supply-side reforms for the Chinese economy. Michael Pettis, Professor of Finance at the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University, will discuss how China will cope with the challenge of adjusting to the deep imbalances created during three decades of rapid growth. On the corporate side, Stephen Zhu, Vice President of Strategy at Didi, the world’s largest transportation platform, will talk about the ride-sharing phenomenon, trends driving the growth of ride-sharing in China, and future opportunities in the broader ecosystem.

Discussing, rising geopolitical tensions around the world, particularly in Europe and the Middle East, AIC delegates will hear from Sir John Sawers GCMG, Chairman of Macro Advisory Partners, and former Chief of the British Secret Intelligence Service, who will discuss his views on the political and social development issues that Europe faces, deepening societal divides, and the extra pressures that the refugee crisis is adding in Europe. On the subject of foreign and economic policy issues in the Middle East, His Excellency Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani, former Prime Minister of Qatar, will shed light on his views of the key geopolitical hotspots, that he believes will be of greatest importance to the global investment community. Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross – the first responder to crises around the world – will examine the political issues surrounding economic and societal disruption, and provide his views on some possible solutions.

On economic policy, Charles L. Evans, member of the US Federal Open Market Committee and President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, will return to the AIC to share his outlook for the US economy and his views on the appropriate path for monetary policy in the near and medium term.

With the United Kingdom set to hold a referendum on its membership of the European Union (EU) in June, The Rt Hon Sir John Major KG, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and an architect of the Maastricht Treaty in December 1991, which led to the creation of the EU and the euro, will share his views on what ‘Brexit’ – Britain departing from the EU – would mean to the global investor community.

Turning to India, Dr. Arvind Subramanian, Chief Economic Adviser to the current Government, will provide his insights into the pace of the country’s economic reforms and allay some investors’ concerns that not enough is being done. Arun Shourie, journalist, author and a former Minister of Disinvestment, Communication and Information Technology, will also provide his thoughts on whether India can succeed, and if not, what further measures it needs to take.

As in previous years, frontier markets are also a focus at this year’s AIC. Credit Suisse is pleased to welcome His Excellency Saikhanbileg Chimed, Mongolian Prime Minister, who will discuss the government’s policy efforts to recharge the economy and enhance investor confidence, while Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, Minister of Finance for Sri Lanka, will also discuss the new growth momentum in his country.

Joining this year’s AIC from Hong Kong is The Hon. John C. Tsang, GBM, JP, Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, who will share his vision for the future of Hong Kong amid a number of challenges.

Technology and innovation also come under the spotlight, as investors seek answers to the next possible advances in productivity, the social implications of these changes and where the next disruptive forces could come from. Lawrence D. Burns, PhD, Business Advisor; former Corporate Vice President of Research & Development and Planning for General Motors, will explore the forces shaping the future of driverless vehicles, while Akira Morikawa, CEO, C Channel and former President of Line Corp, will discuss how developments in social media and technology shape the way consumers behave. Dr. Dennis Hong, Professor, and Founding Director of the Robotics & Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa) at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), will show how close we are to having robots replacing humans in complex, dangerous or complicated tasks.

Credit Suisse’s leading economists and strategists will also provide their insight into global, regional and sectoral investment themes during the conference.

For more information, including the agenda, coverage of the conference on the AIC Blog, interviews and video replays of some conference sessions, please visit credit-suisse.com/aic. We also invite you to follow the AIC’s dedicated Twitter feed: @csapac.

Kindly note that selected keynote addresses and panels will be open to media representatives, who are requested to reference the Credit Suisse Asian Investment Conference when quoting any speaker at the conference. However, company presentations and panels (unless otherwise specified) are not open to the press. For details, please refer to the media program and registration form, which will be distributed separately.