TAIPEI, TAIWAN May 8, 2026 — Amid escalating conflict in Europe and the Middle East, intensifying geopolitical fragmentation, and mounting pressure on global supply chains and energy systems, the Center for Asia Pacific Resilience and Innovation (CAPRI) convened its Fourth Annual Forum, “Resilience, Risk, and Reinvention: Asia Pacific in a Splintering World.”
This event welcomed a global audience of over 300 attendees, including 100 students, to hear business, academic, civil society, and former government leaders discuss how the region can bolster future resilience while navigating growing uncertainty.
Barroso: World must “prepare instead of predict,” commit to re-globalization
In his opening keynote, José Manuel Barroso—a founding member of CAPRI’s International Advisory Council, former President of the European Commission, and former Prime Minister of Portugal—emphasized the necessity of human-centered coalitions among governments, business, and civil society for delivering global public goods.
As the international community splinters, Barroso argued, we are not entering a period of deglobalization but of “re-globalization or regionalization.”
Drawing on his experience advancing public–private partnerships as chair of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Barroso argued that as major powers increasingly reshape the rules of diplomacy—fundamentally transforming the “grammar of politics”—smaller economies and middle powers like those in the Asia-Pacific must focus on 3 “Ps”: promoting their strengths, preparing for multiple possible futures, and partnering with other countries and across sectors to bolster resilience.
Following his remarks, Barroso was joined onstage by Chen Chien-jen, former vice president and premier of Taiwan. The two share a longstanding commitment to resilience-focused governance, having served together on the Reform for Resilience Commission, a global initiative that incubated CAPRI.
As conflicts intensify, the Asia Pacific must reassess resilience efforts
Analyzing how conflicts in Ukraine and Iran are reshaping risk perceptions across the Asia Pacific, former US Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Pottinger observed that “new [military] technologies favor defenders” like Taiwan rather than aggressors, like the global superpowers.
This fireside chat, moderated by President of the National Bureau of Asian Research Michael Wills, also featured Stephen Mull, a member of CAPRI’s International Advisory Council, former US Ambassador to Poland and Lithuania, and former lead coordinator for implementation of the US–Iran nuclear deal.
Drawing on their firsthand experience guiding US foreign policy, both speakers forecasted prolonged conflict in Iran. In response to these trends, they urged stakeholders across the Asia Pacific to strengthen their defensive resilience.
Mull emphasized the importance of institutions like CAPRI in every society for “studies and policy recommendations on how to improve resilience.”
Balancing green transition with equitable growth
This year’s Forum also highlighted CAPRI’s research focus on energy security and green transition. CommonWealth Magazine’s Kwangyin Liu moderated a discussion with Henry Ho, CAPRI board member, chairman of Tung Ho Steel, and vice chairperson of the Chinese National Federation of Industries; Mika Ohbayashi, director of the Renewable Energy Institute; Yoosuk Kim, president of the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies; and Ali Izadi-Najafabadi, head of Asia Pacific at BloombergNEF.
The speakers argued against approaching Asia-Pacific energy policy solely as a climate issue; instead, governments must balance sustainability with national security, public safety, and equitable growth. Ho discussed the long-running social division over energy policy in Taiwan, arguing that “nuclear and renewable energy should be in the same camp” supporting the green transition.
Turning to the increasing regional influence of China’s energy sector, Izadi-Najafabadi encouraged regional policymakers to stratify their renewables approach and take advantage of Chinese manufacturing capacity while implementing measures to protect domestic industry and security.
Rewriting the innovation playbook amid fragmentation
Leading scholars stressed that the future of innovation and competitiveness in the Asia Pacific—a topic central to CAPRI’s ongoing research on economic resilience and technological transformation—depends on both established regional strengths and institutional capacity to foster experimentation and strategic investment in emerging sectors.
Moderated by Thompson Chau of Nikkei Asia, this panel featured Kristy Hsu, CAPRI senior fellow and director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research; Sangook Park, professor at Seoul National University and former science and technology policy advisor to the president of South Korea; and Elizabeth Thurbon, professor at the University of New South Wales.
Speakers also emphasized the need for innovative policymaking to leverage breakthroughs in AI and renewable energy generation, although Hsu cautioned that the energy demands of AI data centers require additional consideration by policymakers. Thurbon argued that energy security and the green transition are not at odds but can be mutually reinforcing, highlighting Australia’s potential role in boosting regional competitiveness by powering decarbonization efforts. Park concluded by characterizing the relationships among countries like Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan as “complementary specialization rather than direct competition.”
For evidence-based policy, build trust before crisis
An all-women fireside chat on how to increase social trust in evidence-based policymaking featured three of CAPRI’s senior fellows: virologist Yen Pottinger, senior technical advisor for laboratory surveillance, ICAP at Columbia University; seismologist Kuo-Fong Ma, director and distinguished research fellow, Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica; and moderator Chiaoning Su, associate professor and director of the Barry M. Klein Center for Culture and Globalization, Oakland University.
The speakers tracked recent shifts in public trust toward scientists and scientific institutions, noting how fragmented information ecosystems and deepening political polarization have complicated efforts to translate expertise into effective action. These issues are compounded by institutional messaging difficulties: “Despite 21st-century media infrastructure, we are still using 20th-century communication strategies,” said Pottinger.
“We have to build public trust before the crisis, not during,” added Ma, urging institutional actors to openly and honestly discuss risks with the public and invest in maintaining long-term trust grounded in scientific truth.
Poised to promote resilience despite converging risks
CAPRI’s Annual Forum highlighted how the Asia Pacific is identifying new opportunities for innovative policy amid geopolitical conflict, energy insecurity, technological disruption, and social fragmentation. Throughout the discussions, speakers returned to the shared need for regional collaboration and structural changes to enhance the Asia Pacific’s energy, economic, and security resilience.
Observing that “interdependence itself has become a chokepoint,” Sunjoy Joshi, vice chair of CAPRI’s International Advisory Council and chairman of the Observer Research Foundation, affirmed the need for global collaboration in his closing remarks.
