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The Future of Tax in a Geopolitically Transformed World

We are delighted to announce that we will be hosting Baker McKenzie’s 39th Annual Asia Pacific Tax Conference, which will be held in Tokyo on 12 and 13 November 2025.

This prestigious event will bring our leading tax lawyers and practitioners from across Asia Pacific, Europe, and the United States to share strategic insights into the latest developments and trends shaping the global and regional tax landscape.

In an era of ongoing global uncertainty, we will examine pressing issues such as the impact of continued tariff shifts and the growing complexity of global and local tax environments on your business models and strategies. We will discuss how you can achieve resilience and growth amidst these challenges, providing guidance on managing tax affairs, optimizing positions, and mitigating compliance risks.

In addition to jurisdiction-specific updates covering Australia, Mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, we will discuss some of the most critical issues shaping the tax landscape. Key themes include addressing the tax and transfer pricing challenges arising from ongoing tariff turbulence, as well as the complexities of Pillar Two. We will also cover other high-impact topics in a series of focused breakout sessions, including cross-border M&A structuring, intragroup reorganizations, tax audit and controversy management, recent developments in tax case law, strategic approaches to APAs, MAP, and ICAP, the evolving VAT/GST landscape, tariff mitigation strategies and supply chain resilience, and outbound investments from Japan.

Conference materials will be made available on this page prior to the event. Please revisit for updates.

Laura Bicker
China correspondent, reporting from Gyeongju

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

“No Trump!” a rally of hundreds shouted in the centre of South Korea’s capital Seoul over the weekend.

“No China,” chanted another rally nearby.

This is an indication of the diplomatic dance South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung will have to perform this week as he hosts the leaders of both the US and China.

Seoul is – and has long been – a key US ally. It still needs Washington’s protection, but it also needs China, its biggest trading partner and a vital market for exports.

After Lee visited the White House in August, South Korea thought it had appeased its powerful friend – Trump agreed to lower tariffs from 25% to 15%.

But then more than 300 South Koreans were detained in a massive immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in the US state of Georgia. This has shaken ties – especially because Hyundai is a major investor in the US.

Anti-Chinese sentiment in South Korea has also grown steadily in recent years. Chinese interference became a common trope in conspiracy theories about former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol.

However Lee chooses to navigate between the world’s two biggest economies, it’s hard to imagine how he can afford to alienate either.

Read more about South Korea’s delicate dance between the US and China.