New WTO Round: What Does China Mean for Japan?

Corporate Luncheon

Read the Event Summary.

Japan’s trade policy is in transition. A free trade agreement with Singapore was just completed, and recently Prime Minister Koizumi proposed a broad economic alliance between Japan and the ASEAN nations. But Japan has also had a strong protectionist reaction to inexpensive Chinese imports, which are contributing to Japan’s deflation and industrial hollowing-out. In the talks leading up to the new WTO round, USTR Robert Zoellick identified Japan’s trade stance as problematic, and the upcoming round stresses agricultural liberalization and competition policy in addition to China’s admission to the trade body. How will Japan react, and how will it deal with China going forward?

Special Guest
Noboru Hatakeyama, Chairman and CEO, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)

Panelists
Naoko Munakata, Senior Fellow, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry, Visiting Fellow, the Brookings Institution
Wendy Cutler, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Japan, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
Bruce Stokes, International Economics Columnist, National Journal

Presider
Gillian Tett, Former Tokyo Bureau Chief, Financial Times