Our Vision
We have come together to form the ASEAN Business Club at a critical moment in economic history. A new global order is coming into being centred around Asia, in our own backyard. This new order is dominated by large economic entities. Individually, we are dwarfed by these economies and have little more than a marginal role on the global stage. Together, however, we are a market of 600 million people and have a GDP of over US$2 trillion. We would be a force on comparable terms with China, Europe and the US. A key role awaits us, and our businesses, in the new global economic order. Now we have to take it up.
The governments have laid out ambitious plans for an ASEAN Community as a “a single market and production base”. These plans need the support and partnership of businesses. Businesses need to provide this support and ensure that we are there to tap the value of economic integration. We need to grow cross-border trade and investment, create more ASEAN enterprises and build regional capability in our organizations. Our businesses are the necessary agents of change and the key vehicles for unlocking the vast potential of ASEAN.
ABC is a fully private sector driven initiative of ASEAN’s leading businesses coming together to support economic integration while providing a platform for networking. Representing every key sector, we are freely joining forces to stand up in support of the region we call home.
We will support the efforts of governments in bringing down barriers between our economies. We will grow our regional networks and serve as a forum for knowledge-sharing and advocacy. We will be a powerful platform for ASEAN’s businesses to engage with global and regional leaders. Our vision is ASEAN: Open For Business.