 |
 |
|
300 Business Leaders from 27 Countries to Convene at The World Economic Forum On East Asia in Tokyo |
|---|
|
|
12 June 2006 - Tokyo, Japan
The World Economic Forum released more details today on its first ever regional meeting in Japan, which will be held in partnership with Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives). The World Economic Forum on East Asia, which will take place in Tokyo on 15 and 16 June, will bring together more than 300 global leaders from business, politics, government, academia, civil society and the media from 27 countries.
The overall theme of the meeting is “Creating a New Agenda for Asian Integration”. The meeting’s Co-Chairs are Hassan Marican, President and Chief Executive Officer, PETRONAS (Petroliam Nasional), Malaysia; Henry A. McKinnell, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pfizer, USA; Kunio Nakamura, President, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Japan; Nandan M. Nilekani, President, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Infosys Technologies, India; Sir Martin Sorrell, Group Chief Executive, WPP, United Kingdom; Junichi Ujiie, Chairman, Nomura Holdings, Japan; and Yun Jong-Yong, Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Samsung Electronics, Republic of Korea.
An opening press conference with all the Co-Chairs of the meeting will be held on Thursday 15 June at 08.15 at the Tokyo Prince Hotel Park Tower. The press conference will be chaired by Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum.
In addition to the participation of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, there is strong engagement from Japan’s top policy-makers including: Toshihiko Fukui, Governor of the Bank of Japan; Yuriko Koike, Minister of the Environment; Toshihiro Nikai, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry; Sadakazu Tanigaki, Minister of Finance; and several other prominent political and government leaders.
"Much more communication is needed to ensure Asia's future growth and stability and so it is very important that Japan's business and political leaders engage in candid and informal discussions with their peers from the region," remarked Keizai Doyukai Vice-Chairman and President Kunio Kojima. "Like Davos, this meeting in Tokyo promotes greater dialogue and healthy debate over a wide range of important and complex issues," added Kojima.
From abroad, prominent public figures include: Najib Tun Razak, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia; Kamal Nath, Minister of Commerce and Industry of India; Zhang Xiaoqiang, Vice-Chairman, National Development and Reform Commission, People’s Republic of China; Tim Adams, US Undersecretary of the Treasury for International Affairs; Hoang Trung Hai, Minister of Industry of Vietnam; Lee Boon-Yang, Minister of Information, Communications and the Arts of Singapore; Ong Keng-Yong, Secretary-General, ASEAN, Jakarta; Mari Pangestu, Minister of Trade of Indonesia; and Tran Trong Toan, Executive Director, APEC Secretariat, Singapore.
Roundtable discussions will focus on the following four sub-themes: · Competitiveness & Creativity: sessions will examine how both corporations and countries approach improving competitiveness and stimulating innovation in key industries.
· Integration & Identity: sessions will explore Asia’s many integration agendas and their feasibility in light of changing priorities at the national and regional levels.
· Security & Sustainability: sessions will explore how governments and companies are developing and integrating effective strategies to address new risks and to ensure sustainable growth.
· Regional Change (Japan): sessions will examine the pace and profile of Japan’s transformation in politics, business, economics and international affairs.
A pre-meeting survey of the leaders gathering in Tokyo was conducted earlier this month, which identified the following issues as the ones to be put at the top of the regional agenda:
· The absence of regional institutions to discuss energy, security and environment issues
· The impact of Indian and Chinese growth on ASEAN’s future competitiveness
· Improving environmental protection at the national and regional levels in Asia
“No single institution can both anticipate as well as address Asia’s evolving agenda,” observed Lee Howell, the Forum’s Director for Asia. “Therefore, the World Economic Forum on East Asia is designed instead to generate insight and to promote action that will improve the alignment of Asia’s regional, global and industry agendas,” added Howell.
In this context, Tokyo-based media will have an opportunity to take part in the “Asia Forums” focusing on the following topics:
· Asia’s Growth Model: Can It Continue to Sustain Itself?
· Corporate Asia: Who Is Climbing the Value-Added Ladder?
· An East Asian Community: Is There a Design that Can Deliver?
· The Japan that Returned: Does It Look Like the Rest of Asia?
· The Future of Asia: Regional Integration or Global Rivalry?
The Asia Forums will be webcast and podcast LIVE. For more details on the panel, please visit www.weforum.org/eastasia/webcasts.
The host broadcaster of the meeting is NHK – Japan Broadcasting Corporation.
Notes to Editors: Media accreditation to the World Economic Forum on East Asia is now closed.
· More information about the World Economic Forum on East Asia is available at www.weforum.org/eastasia.
Photos of our events can be downloaded free of charge for journalists at http://www.swiss-image.ch/worldeconomicforum (login required).
__________________________________________
The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas.
Incorporated as a foundation in 1971, and based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is impartial and not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, partisan or national interests. (www.weforum.org)
For more information, please contact:
Communications and Public Affairs
World Economic Forum
Tel.: +41 (0) 22 869 1212
Fax: +41 (0) 22 869 1394
E-mail: public.affairs@weforum.org
|
|
Subscribe to Press Releases
Subscribe to receive our press release notifications.
Unsubscribe to Press Releases
Unsubscribe from our press release notifications.
|
|
|
