• Date:  Thursday, March 26
• Time: 9:00-10:30 am ET
• In-person: William & Mary Washington Center, 901 4th St. NW (D.C. Bar Building), Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20001. Light refreshments will be served.
• The event is open to the public and media. Register to attend. ‍
• Virtual: Details to attend the event as a webinar will be sent to registered attendees.

Program

A panel discussion featuring experts on U.S. and Japanese policy in Southeast Asia, Development Co-operation in the region and International Development Finance. AidData will share findings from a new policy brief, outlining revealed priorities from the U.S., Japan and China’s development finance in ASEAN. 

• 9:00-9:30 — Welcome and Introductory Remarks
• 9:35-10:15 — Audience Q&A
• 10:15-10:30 — Wrap-up and Networking

Speakers include:

• Divya Mathew
• Noto Suoneto
• Kuniko Ashizawa
• Alvin Camba (To be confirmed)
• Alex Wooley (Moderator)

Background

The development landscape in Southeast Asia is increasingly competitive as major powers expand their financing footprints across the region. Japan and the United States have long shaped how these countries fund infrastructure, energy, and other growth priorities, and their presence has anchored development cooperation for decades. China’s rapid emergence as a major financier of large-scale infrastructure has fundamentally altered this landscape, prompting renewed engagement from Japan, the US, and other Indo-Pacific partners. Each is now seeking to offer alternative approaches that advance regional stability, sustainable development, and strategic alignment.

Against this backdrop, there is an increasing need for data and analysis to clarify how these major powers invest, what drives their financing decisions, and how governments in the region can navigate a complex and evolving set of competing offers. AidData will preview a new policy brief, analyzing the revealed trends and priorities of the U.S., Japan and China’s development finance portfolio in the region, over the last 25 years.