Chairman's Speeches & Messages

Chairman's Speeches

Japan Foreign Trade Council, Inc.
2019 New Year’s Reception Address by Chairman NAKAMURA Kuniharu

January 8, 2019

On behalf of the Japan Foreign Trade Council (JFTC), I extend my warmest wishes for a very happy new year to everyone.

Before proceeding, I would like to express my special gratitude to Your Excellencies, the State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Mr. Yoshihiro Seki, JETRO Chairman, Hiroyuki Ishige, and all the leaders from various sectors present here today.
Allow me also to convey my sincere thanks for your ongoing support of JFTC activities.

Japan has recovered from deflation and kept its economy on track to recovery. I appreciate the leadership displayed by the Japanese government, and I am truly grateful for all its efforts.
Turning to the international situation, 2018 was a year of the Trump storm. Trade friction between US and China became worse than ever and showed no signs of dissipating. In these circumstances, Japan played a prominent role as a bastion for the preservation of free trade.
Great strides were made in this regard: TPP11 came into force at the end of last year, and the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement will take effect in February. For the JFTC, adherence to the rule-based system of free trade is paramount.
This year Japan will attract global attention as G20 chair and should make its presence felt. The JFTC will take every opportunity to communicate the need to maintain and develop a free and fair environment for trade and investment, and will proactively contribute to prosperity in Japan and throughout the world.
I hope that the government of Japan will bolster its efforts to create rules and environments that allow Japanese companies to operate freely.

Another key trend last year was the improvement in relations between Japan and China. Various events were held to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and the People’s Republic of China, and the JFTC took a new initiative by holding a symposium in Beijing last September.
I had the opportunity to deliver a speech on behalf of Japanese companies at the first Japan-China Forum on Third Country Business Cooperation held in Beijing in October. In my address, I emphasized the importance of international standards and free and fair environments for trade and investment when Japanese and Chinese companies collaborate on third-country projects.
With a view to expand TPP11 and promptly conclude RCEP talks, this year the JFTC will sharpen its focus on these agreements and pursue deeper cooperative relationships with companies based in various countries. By doing so, we aim to secure a free and fair environment for trade and investment in the hope that this will lead to more prosperous societies.

When I was appointed as JFTC chairman, I adopted the slogan “Shaping the future toward a prosperous world.” This phrase encapsulated my desire for our member companies to precisely identify the needs of the times and evolve the Shosha business model in order to create a sustainable and prosperous world in a concrete form not yet seen or experienced by anyone.
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set objectives to be achieved by 2030 through cooperation among all countries and companies. There is a high degree of affinity between the SDGs and Shosha activities, and we will proactively contribute to the creation of a sustainable and prosperous world and shape the future by remaining mindful of the SDGs as we fulfill the functions of Shosha.

Finally, I would like to outline the activities of Action for a Better International Community (ABIC), a JFTC initiative aimed at creating sustainable societies.
We established ABIC in 2000, and it continues to contribute to society through wide-ranging support activities. Almost 3,000 former corporate personnel with extensive business experience, expertise, and contacts both in Japan and abroad are registered with ABIC and they respond to a diverse array of needs, including support for national and local government organizations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and foreign students in Japan. They also contribute to university classes and education to promote international understanding at elementary, junior high, and high school levels.
At the end of last year, I was delighted to hear that ABIC had become the first organization to receive an award from the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO), which supports foreign students, for its distinguished service in supporting JASSO projects and operations.
ABIC will continue contributing to society through further expansion of its activities in introducing a wide range of highly experienced people to meet the diverse personnel requirements of government organizations, SMEs, and foreign students in Japan.
We have set up an information panel at the exit providing an introduction to ABIC’s activities, and I encourage you to take a look at it on your way out.

We sincerely look forward to your continuing understanding, advice, and support for the activities of the JFTC and ABIC during 2019, and earnestly hope that this will be a fruitful and prosperous year for all.

Thank you.