Asia Society is pleased to present a high-level briefing on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum with the U.S. National Center for APEC and U.S. APEC Business Coalition. Against the backdrop of a slowing Chinese economy, persistent global economic stagnation, and the recent completion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, leading experts will reflect on the outcomes from the 2015 APEC leaders meeting in Manila and the possibilities for APEC to continue playing a constructive role facilitating greater trade and economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region.

Speakers

Wendy Cutler (discussion moderator) joined the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) as Vice President and Managing Director of the Washington D.C. office in November 2015. She most recently served as the Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), where she was responsible for negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. Her nearly three-decade tenure at USTR focused on strengthening U.S. trade ties with Asian countries.

Matthew J. Matthews is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands and Senior Official for APEC in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs in the U.S. State Department. Prior to that, he was the Foreign Policy Advisor to Admiral Locklear, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, and the Deputy Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong. As a career Foreign Service member, he has held several posts in Asia.

Mari Elka Pangestu is a trade economist currently serving as Visiting Professor at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. She was Indonesia’s first Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy and also served as Indonesia’s Minister of Trade. She is a Professor of International Economics at the University of Indonesia and on the Board of Directors of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta.

Juan Francisco Raffo is Peru’s representative on the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and the 2016 chair of ABAC. He is Chairman of the Raffo Group, G.R. Holding and Los Portales S.A. He is also founder, former President and member of the Board of the Peruvian Foreign Trade Association (COMEXPERU). He serves as President for the Peruvian Chapter of the Chile–Peru Business Council and as a board member of the Peruvian Institute of Economics.

Monica Hardy Whaley is President of the National Center for APEC (NCAPEC). She is responsible for management of NCAPEC's policy and administrative staff, membership, fundraising and fiscal management, and serves as the public spokesperson and representative of the National Center for APEC. She is Chairman of the U.S.-APEC Business Coalition, as well as an Alternate U.S. APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Member.

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Please note that guest check-in will begin at 6:00pm ET.

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