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ACCJ Draws over 500 to the APCAC 2012 U.S.-Asia Business Summit

Over 500 people from around the Asia-Pacific region gathered at the Prince Park Tower hotel in Tokyo on March 1st and 2nd for the 2012 APCAC U.S.-Asia Business Summit, hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ).

The summit, an annual event which invites members and guests from the 27 member-chambers of the Asia-Pacific Council of American Chambers of Commerce (APCAC), is hosted each year by a different APCAC Chamber member from around the region. This year’s summit marked the first time in 28 years that the ACCJ hosted, and attendance numbers were unprecedented.

His Excellency Yoshihiko Noda, Prime Minister of Japan, made a brief appearance on the second day of the summit, speaking to an audience of around 550. The Prime Minister spoke about the U.S.-Japan alliance and thanked the audience for the outpouring of support and assistance from both the public and private sectors of the U.S. for those affected by the tragedies last year in Tohoku. He spoke further about the recovery and reconstruction efforts in the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and stated that as a result of the supply chain having fully recovery, there are no barriers to doing business with Japan. The Prime Minister also encouraged economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region and said, “Hand in hand with the United States, we will continue to endeavor to be a cornerstone of an open and free Asia-Pacific region.”

More than 50 distinguished speakers rounded out the program, including U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides, Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yukio Edano, U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez, 10 U.S. chiefs of mission from around the region, and many other business and government leaders. Topics discussed at the summit included:

• Advancing U.S. Government Collaboration with American Chambers of Commerce
• The Role of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Promoting Growth
• Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Future for Asia-Pacific Trade Architecture
• The Importance of Good Governance
• Managing Shocks and Keeping the Business Humming with Global Supply Chains
• Infrastructure as an Enabler of Regional Growth and Innovation
• Maximizing U.S. Exports, Trade and Investment with Asia
• Working Toward a Secure Energy Future in a Carbon-Constrained World
• Getting Financial Reform Right in Asia
• Leveraging Health and the Healthcare Industry as Drivers of Economic Growth, Exports and Job Creation

Summit delegates also attended an evening reception at the U.S. Ambassador’s historic residence, as well as a farewell reception at The Prince Park Tower, which featured the cuisine, sake and various forms of entertainment from the Tohoku region. At the farewell reception, leaders from the Japan Self Defense Force and U.S. Forces Japan spoke about Operation Tomodachi and the ever stronger U.S.-Japan security alliance.

Click here for a selection of photos from the summit, or visit the 2012 APCAC U.S.-Asia Business Summit website at www.apcacjapan.com.

Click here to watch recordings of the 2012 APCAC U.S.-Asia Business Summit sessions provided by the Nikkei Japan Channel.

Photos by Genki Art Photography - A. Kremer