MAIN PAGE | EVENTS & PROGRAMS | 2001 | IGM | SPEECHES | MINORU MUROFUSHI
PACIFIC BASIN ECONOMIC COUNCIL
MAIN PAGE | EVENTS & PROGRAMS | 2001 | IGM | SPEECHES | MINORU MUROFUSHI
Regional Vitality in the 21st Century
April 6-10, 2001 — Tokyo, Japan
Mr. Minoru Murofushi
Their Imperial Highnesses, The Crown Prince and The Crown Princess, His Excellency Prime Minister Mori, Excellencies, PBEC Chairman, Mr. Inaba, PBEC colleagues, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen. Good afternoon, and welcome to Tokyo. It is my great pleasure to open the 34th International General Meeting of the Pacific Basin Economic Council. Today we are honored by the presence of Their Imperial Highnesses The Crown Prince and The Crown Princess. We also have with us His Excellency Prime Minister Mori and several very distinguished guests. I would like to express my sincere thanks to them, and to all participants for joining us here in Tokyo. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to the sponsors who have made such generous contributions to this conference. The area around this venue is called "Daiba," and it has become the fastest growing spot in Tokyo for leisure activities. Originally however, it had a much different purpose. As you may know, up to the middle of the 19th Century, Japan pursued a policy of national isolation that lasted well over two hundred years. Then, in 1853, Commodore Perry's fleet arrived in Japan and this led to the opening of the country to the international community and its rapid modernization. Before that happened, though, the Japanese government, caught off guard by Perry's arrival, constructed a number of cannon batteries to defend Tokyo against a naval attack. Daiba means "gun battery", and this was where one of them was built. It soon became obsolete, however, as Japan opened to the world. Nowadays, all economies must face the challenges of opening to a radically new kind of world, caused by globalization and the "I·T" revolution. In Japan, Prime Minister Mori demonstrated his foresight in setting up a joint public-private "IÅET" Strategy Council last year. The Council came up with a national plan that has now become a law known as "E-Japan." It aims to make Japan one of the most advanced "I·T" economies in the world within five years. I am sure that the advance of "I·T" in this country will further hasten the speed of reform in all other key areas and serve as a driving force for a sustained economic recovery. Worldwide, the development of "I·T" can also help in another concern that is of prime importance in this new century; that is, protection of the environment. At this conference too, we have tried to use new technology in this way, with a system called "Triple-E Conferencing." The three E's stand for Efficiency, Electronics and Environment. To reduce our usage of paper, we have distributed handheld PC's that you can use to network and to get conference information. Under the theme of "Regional Vitality in the 21st Century," this year's PBEC Conference is an excellent opportunity for positive discussion of the challenges that face us all as we open up to a new world just as Japan did a century and a half ago. I am sure that, here at Daiba, we will be able to create a vision of a successful new framework for the Asia-Pacific's development in the 21st century. I look forward to working with you all towards that aim in the days to come. Thank you. |
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