Ministers of Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore, Parties of the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), and the Republic of Korea (ROK) met on the sidelines of the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting in Paris, France, on 8 June 2023. The Ministers welcomed the substantial conclusion of discussions on the ROK’s accession to the DEPA. Accession of the ROK to the DEPA The DEPA Parties are delighted that discussions for the ROK to accede to this world-leading agreement have substantially concluded, making…
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PBEC Trade Report June 2023 AUSTRALIA & EU FACING TOUGH WEEKS: Australia and the EU face tough weeks ahead as they seek to resolve contentious issues and deliver an FTA. Following talks in Brussels during the week Trade Minister Farrell told Sky News he would walk away if an FTA “in the interests of Australia” could not be reached. LEADING ECONOMIES CALL OUT COERCION: Australia, New Zealand, US, Japan, UK and Canada met in Paris during the week and issued…
Dear Members and friends of PBEC. On behalf of Pascal Lamy, chair of the French Pacific Territories Economic Committee (FPTPEC), I am delighted to extend an invitation to the PBEC members & its community to join this special seminar on June 13 and 14 in Noumea (New-Caledonia) on the theme of “The deep seabed: the state of play in Asia-Pacific“. This hybrid seminar will bring together speakers from across the Asia-Pacific region (Australia, China, Cook Islands, Malaysia, New Caledonia, New…
At our Annual Dialogues Summit 2022 in November, PBEC teamed up with The Local2030 Islands Network and advocate for Dashboard data monitoring software as an essential tool in sharing best practices to mitigate emissions and achieve its SDG goals. It is the world’s first global, island-led peer-to-peer network devoted to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through locally driven solutions and we really like many of the initiatives this group is developing, so its only fair we share. Sharing is…
PBEC Trade Report May 2023 – Part II AUSTRALIAN MINISTER JETS TO CHINA: Trade Minister Farrell has jetted to Beijing for his long-awaited meeting with Commerce Minister Wang. They met on Friday where Minister Wang accepted an invitation from Minister Farrell to make a reciprocal visit as the two ministers seek to resolve a major trade dispute. BUT NO QUICK TRADE FIXES: While the first Joint Ministerial Economic Commission meeting since 2017 did not produce any immediate resolutions to the…
Far East Consortium International Limited (“FEC”; Stock Code: 35.HK), is delighted to announce the opening of two landmark hotels in the CBD of Melbourne, Australia. On 23 March 2023, FEC opened the Ritz-Carlton Melbourne. The hotel consists of 257 luxury guest rooms located within the West Side Place mixed-use development in the CBD of Melbourne. The lobby sits on the 80th floor and all the rooms offer impressive views over Melbourne. The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne represents the second Ritz-Carlton developed and opened…
“I am honoured and humbled to have been appointed by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong to serve on the Council for Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Development, effective May 1, 2023, for a term of two years.” Stated Natalie Chung on her Linkedin official page this past week. She went on to say, “recognising the gravity of the task at hand, which is to define a roadmap and implementation plan for Hong Kong to achieve our 2050 carbon neutrality target,…
In this episode PBEC is joined by Mr. Thomas Wong one of the two co-founding partners of CW CPA, an international mid-sized professional accounting and advisory firm based in Hong Kong with offices in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Shanghai of Mainland China as well as having liaison offices in Barcelona of Spain, London of UK, Bogotá of Colombia, Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte of Brazil. He looks after many areas of CW CPA, particularly the business development and strategies of the…
INCHEON, REPUBLIC OF KOREA (2 May 2023) — PBEC’s longest strategic partner, The Asian Development Bank (ADB) today announced the Innovative Finance Facility for Climate in Asia and the Pacific (IF-CAP), a landmark program which could significantly ramp up support for the region in the battle against climate change. The announcement was made by ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa on the opening day of ADB’s 56th Annual Meeting in Incheon. “Climate change is the critical issue of our lifetime and here…
Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan, 30 April 2023 – APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) members this week urged APEC Trade Ministers to leverage the challenges facing the region, including environmental risks, financial stress and the cost-of-living crisis, as opportunities to firmly place the region on a new path of economic inclusion, resilience, and sustainability. Separate letters to APEC trade ministers and transportation ministers and statements on the WTO and the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific capture ABAC’s views. 2023 ABAC…