Dear Members,
Great bookends: September started with our first US-ASEAN Strategic Business Forum in Singapore, bringing together over 150 government officials, USABC member company representatives and other partners for a day of rich discussions and networking. The month ended with ASEAN leader events at UNGA week in New York City. Both of these showed USABC’s and members’ strengths as conveners and thought leaders.
The Singapore Business Forum is the closest thing we have to an annual general shareholders' meeting, with added perspectives from government and business partners. I saw member company reps based in different parts of ASEAN meeting for the first time, and lots of cross-sectoral networking. All six of our Chief Country Representatives joined, comparing notes on what works in our different markets. Keynote speaker Minister Tan See Leng challenged us to make the Forum twice as big next year — and our Singapore team is already working on that.
At UNGA week, our team put on three top-quality events on September 23. We joined our US Chamber partners in hosting General Secretary and President of Vietnam Tô Lâm, together with Vietnam's ministers of finance, science, trade, national defense, public security, health, and agriculture, for a candid dialogue with 12 member companies. The General Secretary emphasized the important role of the Council as a bridge between U.S. businesses and the region, while highlighting Vietnam’s position as a strategic gateway to broader ASEAN. He also joined the USABC Institute's session highlighting the Vietnam War Accountability Initiative (VWAI), and talked with each of the supporting member companies. That evening, we hosted Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his delegation of Cabinet ministers. The highlight was an hour-long mingling session at the end of the dinner, during which Prime Minister Anutin, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Suphajee Suthumpun, Minister of Digital Economy and Society Chaichanok Chidchob, Minister of Public Health Mr. Pattana Promphat, and others chatted with most of the 80 business representatives in attendance, including C-suite officers. That's relationship building at its best.
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Best Regards,
Brian
