[ Keidanren | Press Conference ]

Chairman Imai's Press Conference

April 8, 2002

Following is the gist of remarks made by Mr. Takashi Imai, Chairman, Keidanren, at a press conference following monthly Chairman and Vice Chairmen's meeting on 8 April 2002. Translation is rush and tentative, and sequence of the gist does not necessarily coincide with words delivered.

(Asked of his views over announcement of resignation by Diet member Mr. Koichi Kato)
As he is one of very able politicians, I sincerely hope that he could re-set his political career by resignation.

(Asked to review his recent visit to ASEAN countries)
In 2001, as in the past, Japanese investment to ASEAN countries amounted to triple that of Japanese investment to China. As western countries withdrew from ASEAN after 1997 currency crisis and moved to China, Japan is the only one still struggling there, believing that ASEAN could still be a production expansion base while new investment to China would also increase.

From ASEAN point of view, China is a big market chance and a big competitiveness challenger. To remain competitive, ASEAN countries will have to further import foreign capital, especially Japanese, to strengthen domestic industrial base and human capital. Such moves might create a horizontal division of labor in which ASEAN producing what cannot be produced in China.

It must be noted and we are thankful that during four visits in last four years, I observed that ASEAN countries' governments in close contacts with Japanese companies established there to keep improving investment climate. I think that ASEAN countries' China strategy is to get united first so that ASEAN could keep a place with China, Japan and others in Asian economic space, just as in EU or NAFTA.

On country specific basis, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia all realized that the U. S. style development of early 1990s would no longer work, and salvaging lives of poor farmers are essential. I agree with them. Singapore is completely different: Its economy is too much tilted to IT industry. As the result, it was hardest hit by the U. S. IT slump. So the government has established Economic Review Committee and is trying to: (1) promote entrepreneurship, (2) shift industrial structure from IT-shift to other high-tech industries such as biotechnology, and (3) promote policies to provide incentives to corporations such as tax cuts. Even though such policy is very different from other ASEAN countries, I admire Singapore's way of challenges.


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