JETRO Topics

“Asia-Pacific Economic Integration Seminar” in US

June 2017

In June 14, JETRO held seminars under the theme of “Asia-Pacific economic integration” in Washington DC and Chicago in the US.

In the seminar in Washington DC, which was jointly held with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), JETRO Chairman and CEO Hiroyuki Ishige gave the keynote speech titled “Asia-Pacific Economic Integration and the Role of the United States and Japan” following the opening remarks by Representative Rick Larsen.
In the following panel session moderated by Michael Green, Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair of CSIS, the perspectives of each country were introduced regarding “new developments in Asia-Pacific economic integration” by Senior Fellow Ke Long of the Economic Research Center of the Fujitsu Research Institute, Economist Vo Tri Thanh of the Central Institute for Economic Management of Vietnam and Professor Akio Takahara of the University of Tokyo. A luncheon roundtable session was held under the theme of “the US business perspective” with the participation of Senior Vice President for Asia Tami Overby of the US Chamber of Commerce.


Keynote speech by JETRO Chairman Ishige


Panel session (Washington DC)

The Chicago seminar was held the next day in cooperation with the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. Keynote speeches were delivered by JETRO Chairman Ishige, and CEO and President Keith Williams of Underwriters Laboratories LLC.

In the following panel session moderated by Director, Board Member, Past President Edward Grant of the Japan America Society of Chicago, Edward Grant, the three panelists who took part in the Washington seminar were joined by Chief Financial Officer Travis George of Molex Incorporated, and CEO and President Keith Williams, who each contributed their own perspective regarding the theme.


Opening Remarks by Representative Larsen (Washington DC)

Closing remarks by Deputy Governor Munger (Chicago)

This is the 13th seminar in Washington DC (the 12th co-organized with CSIS) since 2004, and the fourth seminar in Chicago since 2013 which JETRO has held under the theme of economic integration in East Asia.

Outline of seminars

Washington DC, US
Theme Asia-Pacific Economic Integration and the Role of the United States and Japan
Date Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Venue CSIS
Organizers Japan External Trade Organization
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
No. of participants 105 from the US government and companies, press, think-tanks, etc.
Program
Welcoming remarks
  • John J. Hamre, President and CEO, CSIS
Opening remarks
  • Representative Rick Larsen
    Member, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and House Armed Services Committee
Keynote speech
  • Hiroyuki Ishige
    Chairman and CEO, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
Panel discussion
  • Moderator
    • Michael J. Green
      Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair, CSIS; Chair in Modern and Contemporary Japanese Politics and Foreign Policy, Georgetown University
  • Panelists
    • Vo Tri Thanh
      Economist, Central Institute for Economic Management of Vietnam
    • Ke Long Senior
      Fellow, Economic Research Center, Fujitsu Research Institute
    • Akio Takahara
      Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Tokyo
  • Discussant
    • Matthew P. Goodman
      William E. Simon Chair in Political Economy and Senior Adviser for Asian Economics, CSIS
Luncheon roundtable
  • Moderator
    • Matthew P. Goodman
      William E. Simon Chair in Political Economy and Senior Adviser for Asian Economics, CSIS
  • Panelists
    • Tami Overby
      Senior Vice President for Asia, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
    • Scott Miller
      Senior Adviser and Scholl Chair in International Business, CSIS
Chicago
Theme Asia-Pacific Economic Integration and the Role of the United States and Japan
Date Thursday, June 15, 2017
Venue Chicago Club
Organizers Japan External Trade Organization
Illinois Chamber of Commerce
No. of participants 96 from the US government and companies, foreign governments, academia, etc. 
Program
Welcoming remarks
  • Susana Meza, Chairperson, International Business Council at the Illinois Chamber of Commerce
Guest speech
  • Naoki Ito, Consul-General of Japan in Chicago
Keynote speech
  • Hiroyuki Ishige
    Chairman and CEO, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
  • Keith Williams, CEO and President and Trustee, Underwriters laboratories Inc
Panel discussion
  • Moderator
    • Edward Grant, Board Member and Past President, Japan America Society of Chicago
  • Panelists
    • Vo Tri Thanh
      Economist, Central Institute for Economic Management of Vietnam
    • Ke Long
      Senior Fellow, Economic Research Center, Fujitsu Research Institute
    • Akio Takahara
      Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Tokyo
    • Travis Geroge
      Executive Vice president, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer, Molex Inc.
    • Keith Williams
      CEO and President and Trustee, Underwriters laboratories Inc
Closing remarks
  • Leslie Munger, Deputy Governor, State of Illinois
Closing remarks
  • David Johnson, President, Japan America Society of Chicago

Related information: Details including videos regarding this seminar are available on the CSIS websiteExternal site: a new window will open