18th Asian Corporate Conference of Asia Society     Dates: 28th-30th May 2008 Venue: Renaissance Tianjin Wanli TEDA Hotel & Convention Center, China Co-Organizers£º Tianjin Municipal People's Government, P.R.C. Asia Society The Wall Street Journal Asia Operators: China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Tianjin Sub-Council Administrative Commission of Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area Lead Corporate Benefactors£º Administrative Commission of Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area   Brief Introduction   A New Era for Global Business: Sustainable Growth for China and the World Asia Society's 18th Asian Corporate Conference brings together top business figures and government leaders from around the world to explore Asia's future in the context of China's growing global influence. The conference seeks to better understand the opportunities and challenges in China's economic development and to examine strategic models of sustainability. How can the region's explosive growth become most sustainable over time? How are China and other Asian nations focusing on environmental problems, and how can Asia come together in seeking green solutions to address these heightening concerns? How can innovative public-private partnerships help China and the region overcome issues of energy dependence and rapid urbanization? What is the outlook for China's booming economy, and can its trajectory be maintained? What is the role of innovation and entrepreneurship in preparing Chinese companies to compete internationally? This year's conference was held in Tianjin¡ªChina's next emerging hub and focus of the Central Government's third wave of economic development after Shenzhen and Pudong. Since 1989, the Asian Corporate Conference has attracted a combined audience of more than 15,000 participants from more than 38 countries around the world.   Opening Keynote Address:XI JINPING, Vice-President, People's Republic of China The Chinese people would surely overcome all difficulties to win the victory in the quake relief work, and fulfil the solemn promise of holding a characteristic, high-level Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. The conference, with the theme of "New era for global business: Sustainable growth for China and the world," was held in Tianjin, a northern port city neighboring Beijing. Opening Reception Vishakha N. Desai, President, Asia Society Huang Xingguo, Mayor, Tianjin Municipal People's Government, P. R. China Building Sustainable First-Class World Cities Panel Keynote: Huang Xingguo, Mayor, Tianjin Municipal People's Government, P. R. China With introductory remarks by: Ronnie C. Chan, Vice Chairman, Asia Society; Chairman, Hang Lung Group Limited Participants: Sheila Dixit, Chief Minister, Delhi, India Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Education, Republic of Singapore Huang Xingguo, Mayor, Tianjin Municipal People's Government, People's Republic of China John So, Lord Mayor, City of Melbourne, Australia Moderator: Saskia Sassen, Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology, Columbia University Harnessing Innovation and Entrepreneurship as Drivers of Sustainability Participants: Ruey-bin Kao, President, Motorola China Raymond Leung, Chairman and CEO, TDK China Tim Minges, President, PepsiCo International - Asia Pacific Region Ganesh Natarajan, Deputy Chairman & CEO, Zensar Technologies Limited Shi Zhengrong, CEO, Suntech Young-Gak (Ken) Yun, CEO, Samjong KPMG Group Moderator: James L. McGregor, Chairman and CEO, JL McGregor & Company China and World Capital Markets: Investing for Growth Participants: Ronald Arculli, Chairman, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited Howard Chao, Asia Practice Chair, O'Melveny & Myers LLP Cui Jindu, Vice Mayor, Tianjin Municipal People's Government, P.R. China David Shuler, Senior Vice President, Business Development (Asia), NYSE Euronext, Inc. Kai Nargolwala, Regional CEO, Asia Pacific, Credit Suisse Moderator: Peter Stein, Hong Kong Bureau Chief, The Wall Street Journal and Associate Editor, The Wall Street Journal Asia Private Equity Participants:Janine Feng, Managing Director (Hong Kong), The Carlyle Group Victor Gao, Senior Officer, Zhongxin Hi-Tech Investment Fund Management Company (preparatory) Steve Mullinjer, Partner in Charge, Heidrick & Struggles Moderator: Rick Carew, M&A - Asia Reporter, The Wall Street Journal 21st Century Banking Outlook: Building Economic Structures for Sustainable Growth Participants: Frank Newman, Chairman and CEO, Shenzhen Development Bank Co., Ltd. Jing Ulrich, Managing Director and Chairman, China Equities, JPMorgan Zhu Min, Group Executive Vice President, Bank of China Moderator: Fang Xinghai, Director General, Office for Financial Services, Shanghai Municipal Government Real Estate in China: Investing for Profitability and Sustainability Participants: Charles D. Dalluge, Executive Vice President, LEO A DALY Feng Lun, Chairman of Board of Directors, Beijing Vantone Real Estate Co., Ltd. Alan Hepburn, Managing Director, Three on the Bund Michael Klibaner, Practice Leader for Asia Pacific, Global Location Solutions - Strategic Consulting, Jones Lang LaSalle Moderator: Robert Poole, Vice President, China Operations, The US-China Business Council How is Global Competition Driving the Internationalization of Corporations & Investment? Participants: Laurence Barron, President, Airbus China Ni Xiangyu, Vice Chairman, Administrative Commission of Tianjin Economic Technological Development Area Shaun Rein, Managing Director, China Market Research Group Michael Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. Yu Ping, Vice Chairman, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Moderator: Dan Hertzberg, Deputy Managing Editor and Editor, International, The Wall Street Journal Closing Remarks Ren Xuefeng, Vice Mayor, Tianjin Municipal People's Government, P.R. China Vishakha N. Desai, President, Asia Society     Speech Vice President Xi Jinping. PRC China makes great achievements in quake relief work China has made great achievements in its quake relief work at the current stage, Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping said here on Wednesday. Addressing the 18th Asian Corporate Conference of Asia Society, Xi said the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan Province on May 12 was the most powerful quake since the new China was established in 1949. All Chinese are united to battle the disaster headed by the strong and solid guidance of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese government, he said. Xi spoke highly of the valuable help extended by foreign countries, international organizations and friends in quake relief efforts. "After the quake, several foreign rescue teams and medical professionals have been sent to the quake-hit areas to search and rescue the people," Xi said, adding relief materials and funds from the international community were continuously pouring into quake-hit areas. Xi said the Chinese people would surely overcome all difficulties to win the victory in the quake relief work, and fulfil the solemn promise of holding a characteristic, high-level Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. The conference, with the theme of "New era for global business: Sustainable growth for China and the world," was held in Tianjin, a northern port city neighboring Beijing. Xi sent congratulations to the annual conference on behalf of the Chinese government, saying the theme was in accordance with the trend of economic globalization and the real situation of economic development in Asia and China. "I believe the conference will achieve fruitful results and provide valuable experience for countries and regions in the world." Xi also elaborated on China's progress on development and sustainable development since the reform and opening-up policy implemented in 1978. China has paid great attention to the issues as development and sustainable development, taking the path of peaceful development and concentrating on the domestic construction, said Xi. He said after thirty years' unremitting effort, the aggregation of China's economy has mounted to the fourth place in the world and China's economy has become an important part of the global economy. "China's contribution to the growth of the world economy and the international trade has exceeded 10 percent and 12 percent respectively," said the vice president. Xi said that China's development provides broad market for the international capital. Foreign investment in China has amounted to more than 780 billion U.S. dollars over the past thirty years. Meanwhile, China's direct investment overseas also increased sharply. He stressed that China will enhance the energy saving and emission reduction work in accordance with the scientific concept of development. China's energy consumption per capita GDP has dropped 3.27 percent while the chemical oxygen demand and the sulphur dioxide emissions also declined for the first time, but the overall situation of the energy saving and emission reduction work is still facing great challenges, said Xi. Xi called on the whole society to stick to the concept of conservation culture so as to establish the sustainable development mechanism and speed up the recycling economy in a bid to promote the construction of the energy saving and environment friendly society. Before the opening ceremony, Xi met with the present foreign representatives. Asia Society, founded in 1956, is the leading global organization working to strengthen relationships and promote understanding among the people, leaders, and institutions of Asia and the United States.