Activities
The Australia Japan Business Co-operation Committee (AJBCC) is an active group of top Australian business persons that has developed over 49 years into one of the most valuable elements in strengthening Australia-Japan ties.
The Annual Joint Business Conference
The Joint Business Conference of the bilateral committees provides a forum each year for an open dialogue on a wide range of topics both regional and bilateral. Representatives of the committees and other authoritative persons research and present papers on key issues of mutual interest and concern, for instance: · the impact on the bilateral business relationship of the dynamic changes taking place in the world economy; · impact on the commercial relationship of climate change; · directions of trade and investment and barriers to future growth in Resources, Agribusiness, Tourism, to nominate three. Recent Conference The 49th Japan-Australia Joint Business Conference was held 9th - 11th October, 2011 in Kyoto attracting 128 Japanese participants and 82 Australian delegates together with 24 Accompanying Persons. o Click here for the Conference programme. o Click here for the Joint Chairmen's Summary at the conclusion of the conference o Click here for a brief summary of the presentations. One reference that arose consistently throughout many presentations and the questions and answer segments was the benefit to be gained from a greater integration of the two economies bilaterally and together as part of the Asian region were the current negotiations for a bilateral Economic Partnership Agreement / Free Trade Agreement (EPA/FTA) to be speedily concluded. The Japanese delegates also strongly supported any Government of Japan decision to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) negotiations. o Click here for a copy of the Joint Statement approved unanimously at the end of the conference that calls for an early conclusion to negotiations for a comprehensive EPA / FTA. Under the 'Events' page of this website please find some photographs from the conference. Next Conference - 50th Anniversary Event At the conclusion of the Kyoto conference, Sir Rod Eddington, the AJBCC’s President, announced that the 50th Anniversary Australia Japan Joint Business Conference would be held 7th - 10th October, 2012 in Sydney. In recognition of the significant anniversary there would be some retrospective appraisal of the first fifty years but the conference would look primarily at three 'big Issues' that would be amongst the many to shape the community and business environment of the journey of the second fifty years. Programme details will be available via this website from early in 2012 or requesting the AJBCC Secretariat - ajbcc@acci.asn.au- to keep you informed. The AJBCC’s Infrastructure Initiative - (see also drop down menu) Following an exploration of the matter, the AJBCC’s Infrastructure Planning Group determined that there are many complementarities in the areas of delivery, operations and finance with respect to ‘Infrastructure’. Consequently, the AJBCC and JABCC have been undertaking a programme of activity to encourage Joint Ventures to undertake work in Australia, in Japan, and in third countries. The AJBCC’s promotion of this Infrastructure Initiative has included involvement in:- · An Australia Inc Infrastructure Mission to Japan - March 2009 · A Reciprocal Infrastructure Mission from Japan - August / September 2009 · A Joint Australia-Japan Infrastructure Mission to India - July 2010
o Click here for further information on the initiative and its forthcoming activities. | The Bilateral Free Trade Agreement
Since 2002, the AJBCC and the JABCC have issued Joint Statements to their respective governments supportive of the conclusion of a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) / Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). At first these statements urged the two governments to enter into negotiations of a comprehensive, WTO consistent, FTA. Once the decision was made in 2006 to commence negotiations the Joint Statements have called for an early conclusion of the negotiations and a signing of an agreement. The AJBCC and JABCC believe that an FTA would increase the integration of our two economies and be an important element in the growing integration of the Asian economies. Accordingly, we have made submission to government and also facilitated wherever requested the interface of Australian and Japanese business with government negotiators. o Click here for a copy of the latest AJBCC-JABCC Joint Statement encouraging an early completion of the FTA / EPA Negotiations Submission: - Australia's Trade and Investment Relationship with Japan The Australian Parliament's Joint House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade has initiated an inquiry into Australia's Trade and Investment realations with Japan and Korea. The AJBCC has provided a submission with regard to the relationship with Japan. Click here for a copy of the AJBCC's submission. |
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