Documentation Brochure - Hamburg Summit

No Alternative to IntegrationMichael König, Bayer (China) Ltd., Leonard Cheng, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Michael Schaefer, German Ambassador to China (f.l.t.r.)David Shambaugh, The George Washington University, Jack C.K. So, Ilham Akbar Habibie, The Habibie Center Foundation (f.l.t.r.)China’s success-story meanwhile iswell-known, but other nations arefollowing, foremost India with its hugepopulation and comparable growthrates. The question is how will the EUand the USA respond to this development?Are there political and corporatestrategies for meeting the challengesposed by the new constellation ofeconomic powers in Asia?“The regional development offersopportunities for integration”, ProfessorLeonard Cheng, Economist at the HongKong University of Science andTechnology, is convinced. And the economyis decisive for integration, Dr. IlhamAkbar Habibie, Chairman, Institute forDemocratization and Socialization ofTechnology in Indonesia, added. Thatmeans economic relations, export andimport, linking up China and Asia withthe USA and Europe.And yet, the understanding of integrationas a concept differs greatly inEurope, Asia, and the USA. "China andAsia seem to form a trade bloc, which isworking against the US and Europe",Jack C.K. So, Chairman of Hong KongTrade Development Council, said. Chinain particular appears to be pursuingregional partnerships in order to avoidexternal "paternalisms”. "But its positionis threatened by internal economicaland political imbalances", Dr. MichaelSchaefer, German Ambassador to China,explained.From an American perspective, theEuropeans have established a very closerelationship to China while the countrycontinues to represent a strategicaggressor for the USA, explainedProfessor David Shambaugh, GeorgeWashington University. Michael König,President of Bayer Greater China Group,is concerned about the concepts ofdemocratic states. “If the United States,Europe and India line up with othersagainst China and Russia, that would bedisastrous and represents a veryperilous course”, he explained."There is no alternative to the integrationof China," König said, "becausethere is no solution to the energy questionsor fighting poverty without the bigplayers of tomorrow. China, Russia,Brazil, India, and others have to be integrated,otherwise we will be drawn back.Dr. Michael Schaefer sees the role ofthe emerging Asian superpower verydistinctly: “China’s interest is to be in thedriver’s seat or at least, to share insteering this development". AndProfessor Cheng added: “As Chinabecomes the largest economy in theworld, it has to take responsibility for all.”The requirements and conditions forthis are just as distinct. The more theunderstanding of integration differs, themore important it is to have the rulesand institutions for all. On the one hand,there is the UN, which must receive anentirely new foundation in a multi-polarworld and on the other, there is the WTO,which is defining collective rules. Only ifeveryone keeps with these rules, will theyalso be able to take advantage of theopportunities of collective trade, whichwill positively influence the differingpolitical definitions of "integration". Dr.Habibie: "Win-win partnerships willmake the integration sustainable.”