The pandemic Covid-19 has created an unexpected and unforeseen adverse impact on the global health system, business, economy, and daily lives. At the cusp of a defining change, it is wishful that the Asian countries come forward for reimagining continental economic cooperation and staking a claim in the new world order. To brave the challenges, there is a glaring need for giving a long-pending due to continental, regional, and subregional economic cooperation in Asia. Essentially, for finding a strong basis for such economic and strategic integration, the bilateral hiccups and unhelpful baggage of the past have to be effectively dealt with. A shared vision for continental peace and prosperity will help the businesses to flourish in Asia, a zone of hope. If the Asian continent gets a new lease of life through a renewed approach of cooperation, the new world disorder will be rather positively eventful after the crisis.

 

As of now, the globalized trade is badly disrupted, and to see the old normal buoyancy in the near future, the Asian economies have to come forward and lead the revival plan in letter and spirit. The crisis offers ample opportunities to boost the Asian spirit and correct the mistakes of bygone times. The strengthening of continental, regional, and subregional economic cooperation in Asia will be of immediate help in dealing with the pandemic and the broken supply chains and mobility caused by it. An idea of “Reimagining Asian Economic Integration” calls for deeper engagements of Asian economies’ in exploring opportunities among themselves and offering the much-needed green shoots to the world. In a troubled world, thinking of having a firmed "Asia-bound business approach" for economic cooperation can be a game-changer for the Asian economies. A new history is being made. An outbreak of unfortunate happenings the world over has resulted in the loss of employment and a sharp decline in wages. The trend of migration is suddenly threatened, and migrants are vulnerable like never before. The downward momentum is symptomatic of deep economic troubles. At this critical juncture, when the terms of late-stage capitalism are undergoing change, the time has come when politics must make an interface with economics in policy and action. For survival and a rebound, Asian economies have no better option than reviewing their domestic and regional markets. In this emerging scenario, economic integration has to be shaped by considering scale, dependency, and sustainability. This time in history will be known for a re-shaping of the world, which will stay on the course of modernism, but one that will be drastically different from the post-colonial one. The shifted fundamentals will have an impact on the multilateral institutions and advanced economies that enormously dominated the post-World War period.

 

We all have a common goal of promoting regional connectivity, enabling ease of doing business, and promoting entrepreneurship, start-ups, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). With the vision to strengthen Asian trade, enhance regional economic growth by acting as the eyes, ears, and voice of the business community in Asia, a mission to promote trade activities, encourages research and development in trade and advocacy for stronger trade ties within the region and scope to promote Asian integration, presenting the needs, aspirations, and opinions of its members and achieving a more SME-friendly regulatory and policy environment, CNI envisions a harmonious unity among the Industry Chambers of the Asian region. In light of this, CNI has taken an initiative to form UAC to achieve the common goals of the Industry Chambers of the Asian region and formally launched it on July 21, 2021, in the presence of key functionaries from the Founding Member Organisations and the Prime Minister of Nepal and Chief Guest at Kathmandu. To achieve the aforementioned mission, vision, and scope, UAC opens up the opportunity to the Asian Industry Chambers to be the “Member Association” of UAC with the representation of their leadership in “Governing Council” and executive head in “Executive Council” for further collaboration and scripting new success stories from Asia. With unwavering determination, the Member Organisation’s association with UAC will be for Promoting Asian Economic Integration; Working in tandem with needs, aspirations, and opinions of its Member Organisations; Achieving a more liberal, open, and inclusive trade-friendly regulatory and policy environment.