The Second OECD-Southeast Asia Policy Roundtable on Economic Security

The keynote will provide an overview of the shifting geoeconomic landscape and the growing importance of economic security considerations, including in Southeast Asia, highlighting how the OECD's rigorous analytical tools, standards and evidence-base can assist countries in addressing economic security challenges. The keynote will include highlights from the OECD Policy Brief on ‘Economic security in global production: Understanding dependencies and vulnerabilities across global value chains’ published on the occasion of the Roundtable, incorporating the latest ICIO/TiVA data to be released later this month. The keynote will also address sectoral dimensions of economic security, including for quantum technologies and AI, as well as ensuring level playing fields and reinforcing multilateral co-operation among advanced, emerging, and developing economies.

Speaker: Mr. Yasushi MASAKI, Deputy Secretary-General, OECD

While increased foreign direct investment (FDI) is critical for industrial modernisation in Southeast Asia, inbound capital can also raise security-related concerns in certain circumstances, including where investment involves non-transparent ownership or financing structures, state-linked entities, or critical technologies and infrastructure. At the same time, countries need private investment, and FDI remains one important source of capital and economic growth. This session will explore the OECD’s "More, Better, and Safe" investment framework, which assists emerging economies in mobilising quality investment while developing targeted and non-discriminatory approaches to identifying and managing investment-security concerns, including screening mechanisms where appropriate. It will draw on the recent findings of the OECD Review of Investment Policies in ASEAN, which was launched at the 58th ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) Meeting and the 29th ASEAN Investment Area (AIA) Council Meeting on 19 September in Manila, Philippines. Following the OECD presentation, Japanese government representatives will share practical experiences in addressing considerations of both openness and national security under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (FEFTA). Southeast Asian investment and finance authorities will then share perspectives on how international cooperation can support an enabling environment for high-quality foreign investment, while managing security-related concerns that may arise from specific investments.

Setting the scene and Moderator: Mr. Antonio GOMES, Deputy Director, Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs (DAF), OECD

Japan: Mr. Kazuaki MIYACHI, Director, Foreign Investment Policy and Review Office, Foreign Transaction Policy and Management Division, International Bureau, Ministry of Finance

Japan: Mr. Ryuichi FUNATSU, Director, Economic Security Division, Economic Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Indonesia: H.E. Dr. Edi Prio PAMBUDI, Deputy Minister for Investment and Economic Cooperation, Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs (CMEA)

Singapore: Mr. Robert TAY, Commissioner, Office of Significant Investments Review, Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry (METI)

Philippines: Ms. Elyjean PORTOZA, Director, Legal and Compliance Service, Board of Investments (BOI)

Indonesia: Mr. Moris NUAIMI, Director of Infrastructure Planning, Ministry of Investment and Downstream Industry (BKPM)

Marking the 50th Anniversary of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct and aligned with the Japan-OECD Cooperation Plan on Economic Security, this presentation will examine the application of OECD supply chain due diligence standards to critical minerals and strategic manufacturing, ensuring transparency, environmental integrity, and security of supply. It will also briefly introduce the OECD Guidelines and activities by National Contact Points established under the OECD Guidelines.

Mr. Masahiro NISHIDA, Director, OECD Division, Economic Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

Mr. Antonio GOMES, Deputy Director, Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs (DAF)

Quantum technologies represent a pivotal frontier for long-term economic competitiveness and national security. Concurrently, their rapid emergence is already marked by potential supply-chain dependencies and vulnerabilities, raising questions related to access to critical capabilities and infrastructure, export control considerations, research security and other economic security considerations.

Following framing remarks by the OECD STI Directorate, the session will discuss emerging industrial use cases and assess essential components and critical materials underpinning quantum supply chains. This session will examine how this evidence can inform balanced policy approaches to the responsible development and use of trusted quantum technologies, including how international co-operation can advance shared goals, building on the OECD Recommendation on Quantum Technologies. It will discuss how cross-country partnerships can enable economies at different levels of quantum readiness to develop relevant capabilities and participate in international quantum ecosystems.

Speakers will share their perspectives on how policy approaches may need to evolve as quantum technologies mature, how governments can balance openness, resilience and economic security objectives, and where continuing technical exchange would add value.

Setting the scene and Moderator: Ms. Audrey PLONK, Deputy Director, Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), OECD

Japan: Mr. Akihiro SATO, Director for Quantum and Materials, Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, Cabinet Office

Japan: Mr. Ryuichi FUNATSU, Director, Economic Security Division, Economic Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

United States: Mr. Dan McCANDLESS, Counsellor for Environment, Science, Technology, and Health, U.S. Embassy in Tokyo

Indonesia: Dr. Ir ISMAIL, Secretary General, Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs

Thailand: Dr. Jirawat TANGPANITANON, CEO, Quantum Technology Foundation

AI creates significant opportunities for innovation, competitiveness and growth across Southeast Asia (SEA). The region is becoming a dynamic hub for AI investment, policy development and technological innovation. At the same time, the growing development and adoption of AI may introduce new economic vulnerabilities and strategic dependencies, including those related to layers of the AI stack, such as semiconductors, compute and models, as well as enablers such as energy and technical expertise. These challenges sit alongside broader policy risks, including market concentration, cybersecurity and privacy risks, the dual use of AI, workforce disruption and wider societal impacts.

AI is emerging as an important dimension of economic security, but its implications for SEA are still taking shape. This session will explore how economic security can be understood through an AI lens in the regional context, showcase relevant initiatives underway across SEA, including efforts to enhance national AI capabilities, and identify opportunities for stronger regional co-operation.

Particular attention will be given to AI compute capacity and the infrastructure that supports it as strategic enablers of innovation, competitiveness and resilience. Discussions will consider key dimensions of AI compute, including availability, investment, access, affordability, reliability and sustainability, as well as opportunities for regional approaches to strengthen access, resilience and impact. The session will be part of the OECD-SEA AI Dialogue series, an initiative with support from Japan under the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI).

Setting the scene & Moderator: Ms. Audrey PLONK, Deputy Director, Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation (STI)

Japan: Mr. Akira KADOMOTO, Director, Economic Diplomacy Strategy Division, Economic Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Malaysia: Mr. Reza ALI, Director of AI Policy, AI Malaysia, Ministry of Digital

Indonesia: Dr. ISMAIL, Secretary General, Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs

Thailand: Dr. Krich NASINGKUN, Director, NSTDA Supercomputer Centre

Cyber threats represent a macro-financial risk capable of disrupting interconnected supply chains, degrading financial stability, and compromising critical national infrastructure. Furthermore, the exponential proliferation of crypto-assets, decentralised finance, and digital payment rails introduces severe regulatory and national security challenges regarding illicit financing, ransomware payouts, and sanctions circumvention. In particular, the rise in state-linked cyber activities and crypto-asset theft has made addressing these issues an urgent priority for the international community. Following a presentation by the OECD DAF Directorate on systemic cyber risks in financial markets, digital financial assets, market infrastructure, and AI in financial supervision —with a focus on vulnerabilities within Southeast Asian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) integrated into global value chains. The session will also explore cross-border incident reporting and regulatory supervision of virtual assets.

Setting the scene & Moderator: Mr. Antonio GOMES, Deputy Director, Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs (DAF), OECD

Japan: Mr. Masanori TAKANO, Director, Cyber Security Policy Division, Foreign Policy Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Japan: Ms. Yumi BABA, Deputy Director, Office of Policy Coordination for IT Risk, Cybersecurity, and Economic Security, Financial Services Agency

Philippines: Mr. Oliver O. LEONARDO, Head of Markets and Securities Regulations Department, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

Indonesia: Mr. Irnal FISCALLUTFI, Deputy Commissioner of Digital Services and Cyber Security Specialist Group, Financial Services Authority (OJK)

Thailand: Ms. Asida SUKSAWANG, Special Expert on International Affairs, National Cybersecurity Agency

International Organization: Mr. Fusanori IWASAKI, Director for Policy Research, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)

This concluding session will aim to connect the four fields by integrating policy insights from preceding substantive sessions, reaffirm shared priorities between the OECD, Japan, and Southeast Asian partners, and outline concrete milestones for a way forward under the Japan-OECD Cooperation Plan on Economic Security.

Concluding Remarks: Mr. Yasushi MASAKI, Deputy Secretary-General, OECD

Closing Remarks: Ms. Tsering DHONGTHOG, United States Deputy Assistant Secretary for Trade Policy & Negotiations, United States

Closing Remarks: H.E. Mr. Toshihide ANDO, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Japan to the OECD