PHILJEC Members Attend the 50th ASEAN-Japan Business Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand

November 12, 2024by secretariat in PHILJEC tagged 50th AJBM, AJBM, ASEAN-Japan Business Meeting, Keizai Doyukai

Led by Mr. Richard Albert I. Osmond, Chairman of the Philippines-Japan Economic Cooperation Committee, Inc., PHILJEC delegates attended the 50^th ASEAN-Japan Business Meeting (AJBM) held at The Okura Prestige in Bangkok, Thailand from November 6 to 8, 2024. This event marked a historic milestone in the partnership between ASEAN member countries and Japan. Under the theme “Building Resilient Partnerships for Sustainable Futures,” the meeting brought together prominent business leaders, and industry experts to engage in meaningful discussions and debates to explore critical issues affecting the region.

November 6 was reserved for the Steering Committee Meeting, and Welcome Reception for the Steering Committee Members which was held at the Hard Rock Café, Bangkok. The evening started with greetings and toast from Mr. Kalin Sarasin, the 50^th AJBM Chairman and Honorary Chairman of the Thailand Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade of Thailand. This was followed by a presentation on “Geopolitical Trends surrounding ASEAN and Japan’s Investment towards ASEAN” by Mr. SHIBATA Soichiro, Director of the Monitor Deloitte.

The conference officially began on November 7, with welcoming remarks from Mr. Sarasin. Subsequent remarks were delivered by Mr. HIRAKO Yuji, 50^th AJBM Co-Chairman and Co-Chairperson of Japan-Asia Relations Committee of Keizai Doyukai; Mr. MIKE Kanetsugu, Vice Chairperson of Keizai Doyukai and Member of the Board of Directors, Chairman of MUFG; and H. E. OTAKA Masato, Ambassador of Japan to Thailand.

H. E. Mr. Akanat Promphan, Minister of Industry of Thailand delivered the keynote speech on “Strengthening ASEAN-Japan Cooperation for Economic Stability and Sustainability in the Digital Age.” This was followed by a presentation on “Strategic Partnerships: Exploring ASEAN-Japan Relations in a Dynamic Global Context” by Dr. Somkiat Tangkitvanich, President of Thailand Development Research Institute.

The first panel discussion moderated by Mr. Muhaymin Khan, Manager of YCP focused on Food Security. This panel addressed the urgent need for action to prevent food shortages in ASEAN nations. Panelists included:

Dr. Poj Aramwattananont, President & CEO, SeaValue Public Company Limited
Mr. SAKAKURA Ichiro, President, Ajinomoto Thailand
Mr. Salman Ghazali, Group Chief Strategy Officer, FGV Holdings Berhad

Shortly after the lunch break, the second panel discussion focusing on Tourism commenced. Moderated by Ms. Fei Yong, Manager of YCP, this panel highlighted the role of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles in preserving the tourism value chain. Panelists included:

Mrs. Suphajee Suthumpun, Group CEO, Dusit International
Mr. KITAGAWA Hiroyuki, President & CEO, JTB PTE Ltd.
Mr. KANDA Shinya, President & CEO of ANA X
Mr. Joydeep Chakraborty, Chief Strategy Officer, Traveloka

A brief discussion on Food Culture in Tourism followed, led by Associate Professor Jutamas Wisansing, PhD, Managing Director & Consultant at Perfect Link Consulting Group and Mr. Matthew John Knights, Chief Hospitality Group Officer, Asset World Corporation.

The third panel discussion focused on Mobility and was moderated by Mr. Nuttapan Meethong, Director of YCP. The panel addressed the growing challenge of air pollution and its impact on public health and urban living. Panelists included:

Mr. Chadchart Sittipunt, Governor of Bangkok
Mr. Prasanna Kumar Ganesh, Executive Vice President, Toyota Motor Asia
Mr. Yew Heng Lim, Group Managing Director, Grab Holdings

Following this, Keizai Doyukai and Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) presented on HR Platform. Speakers for this session are:

Mr. HIRAKO Yuji, Co-Chairperson, Japan-Asia Relations Committee, Keizai Doyukai and Senior Advisor, ANA Holdings, Inc.
Mr. AIZAWA Nobuhiro, Dean and Managing Director, ERIA’s School of Government
Mr. WATANABE Kazufumi, Group CXO, Executive Vice President and Executive Officer, SOMPO Holdings, Inc.

H. E. KIYA Masahiko, Ambassador of Japan to ASEAN served as respondent.

The conference concluded with closing remarks from Mr. IMAI Seiji, Co-Chairperson of Japan-Asia Relations Committee of Keizai Doyukai and Chairman, Member of the Board of Directors of Mizuho Financial Group.

Several Thai and Japanese media were invited to a press conference after the meeting.

Discussions are compiled into a whitepaper which can be accessed through the link below.

Links:

50^th AJBM Materials

Virtual Conference: 47th ASEAN-Japan Business Meeting

April 18, 2022by secretariat in PHILJEC tagged AJBM, japan, Keizai Doyukai, PHILJEC

The 47th ASEAN-JAPAN Business Meeting (AJBM) hosted by The Philippines-Japan Economic Cooperation Committee (PHILJEC) and by the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai), was held last March 10, 2022, through an online webinar platform. A total of 261 attended the Meeting. The theme is as follows: Beyond COVID-19: Envisioning the Future with Digitalisation in ASEAN and Japan.

The opening ceremony began with the welcoming remarks by Mr. Gerard B Sanvictores, Chairman of AJBM Philippines as well as by Mr. Kengo Sakurada, Chairman of Keizai Doyukai. Following this were the guest remarks, keynote speech, and introduction given by H.E Mr. Kazuhiko Koshikawa, Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines; H.E. Mr. Ramon M. Lopez, Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry; and Mr. Nobuhide Hayashi, Chairman of AJBM Japan and former Chairman of Mizuho Bank, Ltd., respectively.

Following the opening ceremony, the first plenary session started with the topic of “Living with Corona”, where the esteemed speakers focused on building a socioeconomic system suitable for living with Corona. The moderator for this session was Mr. Shazali Sulaiman, the founder, and partner of Shazali and Partners. The panelists are as follows:

H.E. Dr. Mahendra Siregar, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Indonesia
Mr. Jose Ma. A Concepcion III, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship & Go Negosyo Founder, Philippines
Mr. Takuya Shimamura, Director, Chairman, AGC Inc., Japan

The plenary session 2 followed with the topic centered on “Responding to Climate Change: Renewable Energy and Green Businesses”. The discussion was moderated by Mr. Patrick Tang from Singapore under the Mobile & Connectivity Partnerships and META. Esteemed speakers for this session are as follows:

Mr. Francis Giles B. Puno, President for First Gen Corporation, Philippines
Mr. Luke Tay, Independent Futurist, Strategist, & Food Systems Advocate, Singapore Futures Fellow, Lee Kuan Yew School Executive Education programme
Mr. Yosuke Kiminami, Founding CEO, RENOVA Inc., Japan

Shortly after the plenary session 2, plenary session 3 with the topic entitled “Start-up & Innovation: Paving the Way to the New Normal through digitalisation” moderated by Mr. Masahito Honma, the General Partner of Incubate Fund Co., Ltd. has started. The discussion was conducted by CEOs from different companies across the ASEAN, these esteemed speakers are:

Mr. Supachai Kid Parchariyanon, CEO & Co-Founder, RISE, Thailand
Mr. Mohd Atasha Alias, CEO & Co-Founder, Vuoz.io, Malaysia
Ms. Stephanie Sy, CEO, Thinking Machines, Philippines
Mr. Teppei Sakano, Representative Director / CEO, Allm Inc., Japan

In conclusion of the event, the Chairmen of AJBM Philippines and AJBM Japan, Mr. Gerard Sanvictores and Mr. Nobuhide Hayashi, respectively, delivered their closing remarks. Finally, Mr. Yuji Hirako, Chairman of AJBM Japan and President & CEO of All Nippon Airways, Co., Ltd., informed the body that he is looking forward to welcoming everyone at the 48^th ASEAN-Japan Business Meeting in Japan at a date and venue to be advised in due time.

VIRTUAL CONFERENCE: 46TH ASEAN-JAPAN BUSINESS MEETING

March 19, 2021by Philip Sanvictores in PHILJEC tagged 46th ASEAN-Japan Business Meeting, AJBM, Online Business Meeting

PHILJEC and PJS representatives participated in the 46th ASEAN-Japan Business Meeting (AJBM) last March 17, 2021 held in an online webinar platform. This year’s meeting will be the first time to be conducted online. The conference was supposed to be held last November 2020, but due to the Pandemic COVID-19, AJBM was postponed and was held online.

The 46th AJBM was hosted by Malaysia – Japan Economic Association (MAJECA) and by the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai), with the theme: “The New Relationship between ASEAN and Japan in the “New Normal” post COVID-19”.

The meeting started with the Steering Committee Meeting. Panelists, moderators and leaders of ASEAN and Japan Chapters exchanged greetings and briefly discussed the current news and trends in their country.

The opening session was moderated by Mr. Nobuhide Hayashi, Co-Chairman of 46th AJBM. Mr. Tan Sri Azman Hashim, Chairman of 46th AJBM and Mr. Kengo Sakurada of Keizai Doyukai delivered their welcome greetings and speeches. Two keynote speakers presented their speeches, H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General of ASEAN and Mr. Takehiko Nakao, Former President, the Asian Development Bank.

Shortly after the opening session, the first plenary session focuses on the New opportunities in the “new normal”: New industry & business possibilities responding to social challenges. It was moderated by Mr. Datuk Seri Iqbal. The panelists are as follow:

Dr. Nobuhiro Endo, Chairman, NEC Corporation
Mr. Fernando Zobel de Ayala, President, Ayala Corporation
Mr. Taro Shimada, Vice President & Chief Digital Officer, Toshiba Corporation
Mr. Patrick Tang, Vice President, APAC, SIGOS Post COVID19 – the case for shifting to digital sales channels

After the Networking session, continuing to plenary session 2. On this plenary session, the discussion about “Rebuilding the value chain in Asia during/after COVID19” lead by Mr Shazali Sulaiman. Sub-topics were discussed as follows:

Japanese companies’ value chain strategy in Asia
- Mr. Hiroki Totoki, Executive Deputy President & CFO, Sony Corporation
- Mr. Joji Tagawa, Senior vice president & Chief sustainability officer, Nissan Motor Corporation
New regional strategy of ASEAN companies
- Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Non-Independent Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, AirAsia Group Berhad
- Mr. Kettivit Sittisoontornwong, CEO, LEO Global Logistics Public Company Limited

Several Breakout Sessions were held after session 2. Reverting back to Plenary Session 3, seven speakers presented their ideas on the following topics:

Co-creating innovation for overcoming social issues (pitching session)

Supporting the resilience of society (infrastructure, disaster prevention)
Supplying sustainable energy (renewable energy)
Enhancing social inclusion & access to opportunities (finance, fintech)
Supporting people’s health and well-being (medical/healthcare)

Moderated by Mr. Naoaki Mashita, the speakers of this session are:

Mr. Goh Peng Ooi, Chairman, Silverlake Axis Sdn Bhd: Digitalisation’s Role in RCEP
Dr. Pun-Arj Chairatana, Executive Director, National Innovation Agency of Thailand: Japan and Thailand Innovation Diplomacy
Dr. Anand Prasad, Founder & CEO, wenovator: 5G Era Cybersecurity: Holistic Security for a Connected Society
Mr. Yoshinobu Osaka, Member of the Board, Director of Challenergy Inc.: renewable energy (Magnus Vertical Axis Wind Turbine)
Dr. Tatsuhiro Nomaguchi, Manager, International Business Department, Metabologenomics, Inc. and President CEO, Metagen Singapore Pte. Ltd.: health (Gut Design for Stratified Health Care)
Mr. Ryuhei Sadoshima, CEO and Founder of Safie Inc.: Infrastructure (Cloud-Recording system)
Mr. Yoshitaka Yamamuro, Director, Asia Digital Transformation Policy Office Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)

Following the traditional wrap-up of AJBM, a short speech from the Chairman of the next hosting country was delivered. Mr. Gerard B. Sanvictores, Chairman of the Philippines-Japan Economic Cooperation Committee, Inc. (PHILJEC) acceptance speech for the 47th ASEAN-Japan Business Meeting which will be held on 2022 – hoping of an in-person conference by that time.

Resources:

46th AJBM Program

MAJECA Post-Event Article

46th ASEAN-Japan Business Meeting

February 17, 2021by Philip Sanvictores in Featured, PHILJEC tagged 46th ASEAN-Japan Business Meeting, AJBM, Business Meeting, Virtual Meeting

This year’s 46th ASEAN-Japan Business Meeting (AJBM) is hosted by the Malaysian-Japan Economic Association (MAJECA) with coordination from Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives).

The theme for this meeting is “New Relationship between ASEAN and Japan in the “New Normal” post COVID-19″, which presents an attractive opportunity for renewing business ties, forging new partnerships between ASEAN and Japanese companies. The Japanese companies participating in these AJBM meetings comprise of top-level business executives under its membership with Keizai Doyukai. The 46th AJBM also acts as a bilateral and multilateral business promotion platform to bring together solution providers, innovators, business giants and start-ups.

This conference will bring together key leaders and corporate luminaries across ASEAN and Japan to share their experiences and exchange insights under the yet prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. The theme of rebuilding, perseverance and innovation with a pivot to digitalization will be the backbone of the various Plenary Sessions. The latest Programme is attached herewith for your reference.

Date: 17 March 2021, Wednesday
Time: 12:30 PM to 6:30 PM (MNL Time)
Venue: Online Conference Platform*
*Link will be sent before the day of the meeting

To register, please accomplished this FORM on or before 10 March 2021, Wednesday. The admission is FREE.

For downloadable Programme Agenda, please CLICK HERE.

For information in sponsorship, CLICK HERE. Submission of materials and payment is on or before March 3, 2021

For inquiries, you may send an email to Ms. Frei Tan at [email protected] or contact us at (+632) 8892-4916 to 19.