Welcome Remarks

1. Paul C.F. WANG, Chief Secretary, Bureau of Foreign Trade, Chinese Taipei
2. Dr. David S. HONG, President, Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, Chinese Taipei

Session 1: The Implications of Closer Relationship Between Asia-Pacific Regional Economic Integration (REI) and Global Value Chains (GVCs) in the APEC Region

The main purpose of the session is to enhance understanding of the relationship between APEC REI and GVC development as well as provide suggestions for moving forward. APEC seeks to strengthen REI and it is one of the 2014 priorities for APEC. Specifically, FTAAP pathways, such as TPP and RCEP, will play a major role in advancing APEC REI. At the same time, GVC development is gathering momentum and will certainly be affected by the developing FTAAP pathways that will transform trade rules and economic cooperation. Thus APEC has generated the “APEC Strategic Blueprint for Promoting Global Value Chains Development and Cooperation through Asia-Pacific Partnership.”

Session Chair:

Dr. Ming-Hsin KUNG, Vice President, Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, Chinese Taipei

Presenters:

Dr. Javier Lopez Gonzalez, Trade Policy Analyst, Development Division, Trade and Agriculture Directorate, OECD (20 Minutes)
Dr. Deborah ELMS, Executive Director, Asian Trade Centre, Singapore (20 Minutes)
Dr. Mitsuyo ANDO, Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Commerce, Keio University, Japan (20 Minutes)
Dr. Shih-Hsun HSU, Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, National Taiwan University, Chinese Taipei (20 Minutes)

1. Topic: The Latest Development of Asia-Pacific Mega FTAs
2. Topic: Analyzing GVC Development in the APEC Region
3. Topic: The Rising Influence of Asia-Pacific REI on GVCs

Q&A

Session 2: GVC Challenges and Opportunities facing Businesses in the Asia-Pacific Region

The major purpose of the session is to focus on the challenges and opportunities facing GVCs developed by businesses in the Asia-Pacific region. An important challenge is the frequent occurrence of natural disasters in the Asia-Pacific region, so that APEC’s EPWG has focused on this issue as well as ABAC and the SMEWG. On the other hand, there exist opportunities in the emerging GVCs for businesses to grasp and will be discussed in the session.

Session Chair:

Dr. Charles T. CHOU, Deputy Executive Director, Chinese Taipei APEC Study Center, Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, Chinese Taipei

Presenters:

Mr. Kiyoshi NATORI, Executive Director, Asian Disaster Reduction Center, Japan (20 Minutes)
Mr. Aslam PERWAIZ, Head, Disaster Risk Management Systems, Asia Disaster Preparedness Center, Thailand
(20 Minutes)
Ms. Corazon C. CURAY, Vice President, Supply Chain Management Association of the Philippines (20 Minutes)

1. Topic: APEC’s Work in Enhancing Natural Disaster Resilience of Businesses
2. Topic: The Strengthening of Businesses’ Natural Disaster Resilience

Q&A

Session 3: “The Growing Importance of Services in GVCs”

The main purpose of the session is to increase our appreciation of the rising significance of Services GVCs. APEC and ABAC have been working to promote the issue of services. This is the reason why APEC has recently named manufacturing related services to be a next generation trade and investment issue. Therefore, services GVCs will continue to grow and suggestions for APEC on how to enhance this area are urgently needed.

Session Chair:

Dr. Wayne CHEN, Associate Research Fellow, CTPECC, Chinese Taipei

Presenters:

Dr. Jane DRAKE-BROCKMAN, Senior Services Advisor, International Trade Center, Switzerland (20 Minutes)
Ms. Yuhua ZHANG, Analyst, APEC PSU, Singapore
(20 Minutes)
Dr. Shong-Iee Ivan SU, Professor, Department of Business Administration, Soochow University, Chinese Taipei (20 Minutes)

1. Topic: The Asia-Pacific Trend in Services GVCs
2. Topic: The Efforts of APEC and other Organizations in Promoting Services GVCs
3. Topic: The Role of Logistics Services in Advancing GVCs

Session 4: Suggestions for APEC

The purpose of the final session is to provide another opportunity for workshop participants to discuss suggestions for APEC to advance GVC development in the Asia-Pacific region.

Procedure: There are three stages. The speakers will speak first to be followed by the delegates of APEC economies and then the local participants.

Session Chair:

Dr. Chen-Sheng HO, Associate Research Fellow, Chinese Taipei APEC Study Center, Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, Chinese Taipei

Topic 1: Advancing APEC GVC Development
Topic 2: Enhancing Capacity Building of APEC Developing Economies to participate in GVCs