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APEC CEO Summit |
Initiated in 1996 the APEC CEO Summit provides an opportunity for business leaders in the Asia-Pacific to engage in discussions with APEC Economic Leaders,1 policy makers, academia and other CEOs on issues facing the region. The Summit is held in the APEC host economy just prior to the annual APEC Leaders' Meeting and is an example of APEC's efforts to promote public-private sector dialogue and cooperation.
Under the theme "Rebuilding the Global Economy: Crisis and Opportunity," the APEC CEO Summit 2009 was held between 12 to 14 November in Singapore. The Summit brought together over 1200 top business figures and thought leaders, as well as 14 APEC Economic Leaders. (A selection of the speeches can be viewed at: http://www.apec.org/apec/news___media/webcast.html)
The focus in 2009 was on addressing the economic crisis, the recovery of the global economy, strengthening corporate governance, innovation, harnessing the economics of climate change, creating better social safety nets and leveraging the power of sovereign wealth funds and multilateral institutions. It also included discussions on the region's economic architecture in light of the new global economic landscape. The programme included panel discussions, seven keynote speeches by APEC Leaders, and a dialogue with Singapore's Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew.
There was general agreement that the economic crisis presented an opportunity to rebuild the global economy and make domestic reforms; and that collaboration between the private and public sectors is necessary for the sustainable recovery of the region .
Business expressed the view that protectionist pressures were still a concern. APEC Leaders responded with a very strong commitment to keep trade flowing, to continue with liberalisation and to stand up against protectionism. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev stressed that trade is a powerful agent in driving economic growth and that avoiding protectionism and reducing trade barriers is imperative. US Trade Representative Ambassador Ron Kirk reaffirmed the US commitment to removing both recent and long-standing barriers to trade and investment. HE Chief Executive Donald Tsang of Hong Kong, China and Chinese President Hu Jintao called for greater efforts to promote trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation. Prime Minister John Key of New Zealand proposed that a renewed commitment to free trade is one of the most important things APEC can do for businesses, while President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia emphasised the need to maintain the APEC vision of an open region.
As the host of APEC 2010, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama stressed that APEC must seek new values to remain relevant. His view was that as APEC has become the growth centre of the world it has the responsibility to design a new economic model. He outlined the basic stance that APEC's 21 member economies should adopt, namely: create a system for advancing regional economic integration by increasing the ease of doing business; adopt a sustainable economic growth model leveraging on technology and innovation; and acquire and maintain a keen perspective on human security.
The 2010 APEC CEO Summit will be held in Yokohama, Japan from 12 -13 November.
1HE Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of Australia; HE President Michelle Bachelet of Chile; HE President Hu Jintao of the People's Republic of China; HE Chief Executive Donald Tsang of Hong Kong, China; HE President Dr H Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia; HE Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama of Japan; HE President Lee Myung-Bak of the Republic of Korea; HE Prime Minister Dato' Sri Najib Razak of Malaysia; HE President Felipe Calderon of Mexico; HE Prime Minister John Key of New Zealand; HE President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia; HE Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore; HE Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva of Thailand; HE President Nguyen Minh Triet of Viet Nam