I have had the privilege of watching Mr. Shamugaratnam perform in various international forums including the G-20 and the IMF-World Bank meetings. He is widely respected for his intelligence and wisdom and for his uncommon ability to see the big picture even as we grapple with the pressures of immediacy. Globally, he is seen as the principal interlocutor on Asian economic values and aspirations.
After all, the rather swift revival of global value chains following the easing of restrictions over the summer months has demonstrated their stability and their potential for supporting the recovery. But apart from empirically observable trends there is another issue: The COVID-19 crisis may have changed our views on how to position our economies within global value chains.