Seminar Descriptions

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Fool's Gold or Bird of Gold: India Beguiles

Gunjan Bagla, Amritt, Inc.

From solar to nuclear to defense to telecom to consumer products, India appears like the last major frontier for American companies. Many such companies will lose their shirts in India. Attend this interactive session to find out how to save your shirt--and how to boost your sales.

U.S.-India Commercial Ties: The ‘Game Changers’ That Will Shape the Decade Ahead

Michael DiPaula-Coyle, Director, Policy Advocacy, U.S.-India Business Council

A Call to Action to Washington and APEC from Asia Pac Business Leaders

Kristin Paulson, Chairman, APCAC

Walter Blocker, CEO Gannon Vietnam

George Drysdale, Chairman and CEO, Marsman-Drysdale Group

APCAC is the business organization of the AmChams across Asia Pacific (The Asia Pacific Council of American Chambers of Commerce), representing a growing 10,000 businesses and 50,000 business executives in Asia Pacific. Its leaders are presenting the 2010 Recommendations Report, representing the views of American business executives who are “on the ground” in Asia. The report outlines policy recommendations for the US government as well as for APEC, ASEAN and other regional institutions from the perspective of businesspeople working in Asia Pacific.

Managing the Power of Perceptions/Expectations – How to Work with the Chinese Effectively

Mu Dan Ping, Executive Director, World Heritage Foundation

International business deals do not usually fail due to external factors such as money, technology, market environment, product, politics, economics or technical considerations. Most often failures are caused by a lack of understanding of cultural differences based on personal values, expectations and perceptions held by people from different cultures. Successful business relationships between the U.S. and Chinese firms require cross-cultural exchange and mutual understandings. The inability to interact effectively can lead to misunderstandings and negatively affect the peoples and business between the two countries.

Art of Negotiation – Negotiating With the Chinese Effectively

Mu Dan Ping, Executive Director, World Heritage Foundation

One of the most important, and anxiety-producing aspects of Sino-American business relationships is the negotiation process. Regardless of one’s role in any project, there will come to a time when it will involve some sort of negotiations – business structure, profit sharing plan, who will do what by when, and assignment of responsibility is all part of this process. This is a process of communicating back and forth for the purpose of reaching a joint decision. An overview of key skills and mindsets when preparing for and engaging in negotiations with the Chinese will be discussed. Key sets of “do’s and don’ts” will be introduced.

James Rooney, President, JP Rooney and Associates

Dusit Nontanakorn, , Chairman, Thai Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade Thailand (Bangkok)

Thailand is continuing to experience political and economic uncertainty which will impact on the country’s ability to recover from the economic crises. Elections in 2010 may provide much needed political stability. If not, it will be more of the same.

Materialism, Middle Class Aspirations, New Youth Lifestyles and Behavior, and a Growing Self-Confidence: The Implications of a Rising China for American Business

Stan Rosen, Director, USC East Asian Studies Center and Professor of Political Science, USC

China’s growth have already led to the rise of a new middle class, as well as a stratum of the rich and even super-rich. Current trends and surveys strongly suggest that this phenomenon will continue, and Chinese citizens are optimistic about their future entry to middle class status. These developments in turn have created new role models and new patterns of consumption. For example, whereas price and Chinese brand name had always been the key factors in purchases, more recent surveys have shown that, depending on the consumer item, such things as quality, style and foreign brand name have become far more important.

Despite these clear changes, the attitudes and behavior of China's younger generation have been contradictory, ranging from conspicuous consumption of American products such as Hollywood films to anger at the perceived lack of respect China has received in the America media and from certain U.S. government policies. On the one hand, you see the kind of idealism that contributed to the volunteerism after the Sichuan earthquake in May 2008. On the other hand, virulent cyber nationalism has distinguished at least some of the behavior of "angry youth".

In addition, it is also very clear that image has become extremely important to China's rising middle class, particularly the youth, with obvious new patterns of social stratification (for example, no one who aspires to social success wants to associate with "smelly" migrant workers). These changes and the ensuing contradictions have important implications for those doing business with China. Thus, the PowerPoint presentation will discuss the changes and their implications, using survey and public opinion data, interviews in China, and an extensive examination of the Chinese media as sources. In addition, along with the implications of "the rise of China," recent changes in the attitudes of Chinese citizens toward the U.S. and American citizens toward China will be discussed.

The Global Recession has Changed the Global Economy: Will this Change our Global Investment Strategy?

Chris Goode, President, Propulsys

Propulsys Inc. has made significant investments in two manufacturing plants in China. The core products of the Propulsys group were dramatically impacted by the global recessions as a result of a 65% decline in the core products global industry. In this seminar we will:

• 1. Review and project the changed role of China in the global economy, bases on the reality of today and the Chinese Government Policy and     regulatory changes. (Unraveling the myths and mis-information about China’s future).
• 2. Examine the actions taken by Propulsys during the recessions and the current and projected impacts of these actions.
• 3. Review Propulsys’ future investment strategy.
• 4. Provide direction and focus for would be investors in China

This seminar will bring you the latest “on the ground” information and provide clarity of our future world that will enable investors to make knowledge based decisions.

The US, China, and Copenhagen: Is a Climate Deal Dead?

Mikkal Herberg, Senior Research Fellow for International Energy, Pacific Council on International Policy

The UN-sponsored Copenhagen meeting last December ended with a vague, hastily-arranged, non-binding agreement that left the prospects for a new agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol in limbo. At its core, the Copenhagen meeting foundered over the deep differences between the two largest carbon emitters, China and the US, over how to address climate change and how they will share the burden of reducing future carbon emissions. Can the US and China find a way to come to a new consensus over each other's share of responsibility in addressing this critical global problem that would underpin a new global agreement in the run-up to the Bonn meeting later this year? What are the implications for a climate agreement and for the future of US-China strategic relations if they cannot?

Are We Going Down, Because China Is Coming Up?

Sidney Rittenberg, President, Rittenberg and Associates, Inc.

Are Chinese attitudes toward American business people changing, with the shift in the global balance of economic power? If so--what can we do about it?" China is forging ahead, with a growing GDP and massive investment and construction. China is now the world's 2nd largest economy, and #1 exporter. At the same time, the US economy is still laboriously extricating itself from a shattering -- and in many ways shameful -- financial/economic near-collapse. This dramatic change in the balance of global economic power is altering Chinese attitudes on "who needs whom the most," and "how are we going to treat the foreign behemoths who bullied us in the past?"

Are these changes a reason for panic and despair? Are we fated to go into an irreversible decline, as the BRICS countries rise? I believe the answer is exactly the opposite. The fact is, there has never in history been a time when we and China (or we and the world) needed each other as badly as we do today -- and where there's a need, solutions can be found. There are actually unparalleled new opportunities for America's global business, as long as we learn to identify and exploit those opportunities.

2011: The US Year of APEC

Lynn J. Turk, Senior Advisor, U.S. National Center for APEC

The twenty-one members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation organization constitute 41 percent of the world's population, 54 percent of world GDP and 44 percent of world trade. The US will chair APEC in 2011 and host both the Leaders Summit of presidents and prime ministers in Honolulu in November of that year and a concurrent CEO Summit that will allow the private sector access to the gathered government leaders. Various ministerial-level sectoral meetings held in cities throughout the US during the year will precede the Honolulu meeting. Learn about the US APEC year and the opportunities for the private sector to directly participate in shaping the agenda by attending this session.

Post Financial Crisis Market in China --Key Players and Strategy

QiWei Chen, Chairman, ABC Holdings and Chairman and Managing Partner, ABC Capital (China), Shanghai

Dr. Chen’s presentation will discuss why China’s economy is expected to continue to grow, finding the most potential opportunities in today’s environment and how to deal with some of the new challenges in light of the post financial crisis.

Democracy, Authoritarianism and Economic Health: Different Roads to Heaven?

Tom Plate, Author, Syndicated Columnist & Founder, Asia Pacific Media Network, Beverly Hills

Authoritarian-style nations with exceptional economic success stories have been considered one-off aberrations. No more. Political gridlock blocks and frustrates even the most successful economies (U.S., Japan). Regimes with clearly-thought out top-down decision-making (China, Vietnam) clear out traffic jams quickly and efficiently. Do we need to rethink the famous formulation by Winston Churchill that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others? Two thousand plus years ago, did Plato have it right? By former UCLA Prof. Tom Plate, author of a new book on Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore.

Energy, Infrastructure and Sustainable Urbanization in India

Sean Randolph, President and CEO, Bay Area Council Economic Institute (San Francisco)

India faces massive urbanization in the next forty years, with as many as 300 million people migrating from rural areas into aready dense cities or new urban areas. How this is managed has major implications for economic competitiveness, quality of life, climate change, and business. Solutions will call for policy focus, and for expertise and technology across a range of sectors including urban planning, architecture, infrastructure development, conventional energy, and energy efficiency and renewable energy techology.

A New Bridge Connecting to the Rising Market: Bilateral FDI between Taiwan and China

Chi-Sheng Jason Hsu, General Director, Task Force for Cross-strait Industrial Technology Exchange and Cooperation Industrial Technology Research Institute (Hsinchu)

Launched by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (Taiwan), the Sky-Net Project aims to shape business friendly environment and hence elevate industry competitive edge by promoting domestic private investment, attracting inbound foreign direct investment (FDI) and fortifying cross-strait industrial cooperation. The principal practice of the Sky-Net Project is the deregulation on bilateral FDI between Taiwan and China, which makes Taiwan more attractive to multi-national enterprises (MNEs) and in turn allows MNEs to regard Taiwan as a gangway facilitating their participation in cross-strait enterprises. By doing so, MNEs accompanied with Taiwanese enterprises can access to prosperous Chinese market and secure their leading position in tough global competition.

Under the Sky-Net Project, an affiliated scheme called Bridge Building Project for Cross-Strait Industrial Cooperation (BBPCIC) is now responsible for the core function of solidifying and deepening the industrial cooperation between the two parts. In the presentation, Dr. Hsu, Director of Bridging Office for Cross-Strait Industrial Cooperation, will introduce recent restriction removing action on cross-strait investment, especially focusing on the point favoring MNEs and relevant issues on BBPCIC in detail.

Transparency : How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor

James O’Toole, Daniels Distinguished Professor of Business Ethics, University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business (Denver)

James O'Toole will speak on Transparency: Creating a Culture of Candor, based on his best-selling book of that title and featured article in the Harvard Business Review (co-authored by Warren Bennis). Transparency has become a managerial buzz word in the US and Europe over the last few years; nonetheless, it is an idea of great importance and substance. O'Toole will show how transparent cultures can lead to effective, innovative, and ethical organizations, and how the opposite, opacity, puts companes at risk. He will show how Asian companies are at particular risk in this regard, as witnessed by the recent crisis.

Leveraging Japan's Changing Affluent Consumer Market

Debbie Howard, President, Japan Market Resource Network (Tokyo)

As we navigate the tough global economic mood, it’s a good time to take a step back and re-examine just how strong a market opportunity Japan continues to offer.

Japan’s evolution during its so-called lost decade changed consumer behavior irrevocably.  Not only is today’s consumer more diverse in terms of segmentation, but they are also much more open-minded towards foreign products and services.  And Japanese consumers are still “cash rich” compared to consumers in other developed markets.

This seminar will illuminate why Japanese consumers are among the most well-heeled and sophisticated in the world, with consumer spending in Japan reportedly accounting for 11% of the global economy.  It will also explore how lifestyle and demographic changes are creating new opportunities for foreign multinational companies.

For products and services that have evolved to serve developed markets (i.e., financial investment products, advanced pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and high tech to name just a few), it may be more relevant to consider the spending power of an individual consumer – and not necessarily the raw number of people in a given market.

A New Decade, A New Dollar?

Nick Bennenbroek, Senior Vice President, Head of Currency Strategy, Foreign Exchange, International Financial Services,
Wells Fargo & Company (new york)

After a tough year in 2009, the U.S. dollar has begun 2010 on a firm note.  Is this a temporary phenomenon, or part of a sustained trend?  Nick Bennenbroek, Head of Currency Strategy at Wells Fargo, assesses some of the forces behind the greenback's strength, and whether those forces will persist.  He will also look as the prospects from some of the key Asian currencies.

APRU World Institute Activities to Improve Public Policy Responses to Climate Change Threats and Public Health Threats in 18 Pacific Rim Cities

Richard Drobnick, Director, Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER),
USC Marshall School of Business and Managing Director, APRU World Institute

APRU is a consortium of 42 leading research universities around the Pacific Rim. The consortium aims to foster education, research and enterprise, thereby contributing to the development of a peaceful and prosperous community of Pacific Rim economies. The APRU World Institute www.apru.org/awi is engaged in collaborative international research on the following two activities:

AWI CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECT
Pacific Rim Cities: Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies

The research project is focused on the impact of climate change upon water availability and the development of mitigation and adaptation strategies in nine Pacific Rim cities: Bangkok, Canberra, Danang, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne, San Diego, Singapore, and Tianjin. It aims to deliver results of practical value to decision-makers in the public and private sectors, as well as develop new models for making public policy decisions under conditions of long-term uncertainty.

AWI PUBLIC HEALTH PROJECT
Chronic, Non-Communicable Diseases Around the Pacific Rim

Facilitating Temporary Worker Movement in the APEC Region: Report to the APEC Business Advisory Council

Carl Voigt, Associate Professor, Management and Organization, USC Marshall School of Business (Los Angeles)

The USC Marshall report addresses a high profile issue facing the 21 economies in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), which includes the United States, Mexico and Canada as well as parts of Asia and South America.  The lack of proactive measures to address the imbalance of temporary labor across the economies has decreased the competitive advantage of the region and has become a major action item on the table of the business community. 

The study provides insights into the policies which shape the labor market as well as takes qualitative commentaries from various sectors in the APEC economies to add a depth of understanding to the underlying issues which remain unaddressed by the current policies.  The study shows clearly that both developed and developing economies can progress together with the aid of a cooperative and coordinated labor mobility policy. 

"Few subjects make politicians, policy makers, and citizens more uncomfortable than the issue of migration, in general, and temporary workers in particular, especially in times of recession. Fears of job losses, the lowering of local wages, and unwelcomed burdens on social services, quickly push reasoned discussions of the economic benefits of temporary workers from the public agenda. But real shortages of skilled and lower-skilled workers exist in many APEC economies, even during this recessionary period. And these labor shortages and imbalances of skills and jobs are predicted to become increasingly critical because of the changing demographics of aging populations. This gives business real concern as access to workers is directly correlated with business competitiveness and growth. A rationalized policy framework for the movement of workers will give APEC economies benefits of economic development, and do so in an inclusive way. Much is lost if protectionist tendencies prevail and the topic of international labor mobility continues to be neglected.”