AmChams Asia Pacific Business Summit Opens in Hanoi

Coinciding with the start of President Biden’s first visit to Asia, AmCham leaders from around the region gathered in Hanoi on May 20 to discuss the critical issues facing American business in the Asia Pacific region.

Over 80 government officials, private sector executives, and industry-focused thought leaders from over a dozen countries participated in the AmChams of Asia Pacific 2022 Business Summit. A number of high-level private sector representatives addressed the group including Sir Michael A. Arthur, President of Boeing International, and Charles Freeman, Senior Vice President for Asia at tthe US Chamber of Commerce. In addition, the Business Summit featured prominent virtual speakers including United States Under Secretary of Commerce Marisa Lago, Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Kritenbrink, Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper, former US Trade Representative Michael Froman, and more.

Commenting on the Business Summit, AmChams of Asia Pacific Steven Okun said, “AmCham members from around Asia discussed how to best support increasing US economic and trade engagement in the region along with in-depth examination of specific industry challenges.” Okun added that, “With Southeast Asia central to United States economic and foreign policy - and coming off the successful US-ASEAN Special Summit in Washington - there is no better place to host our regional event than Hanoi.”

Speakers and panel participants discussed a wide range of issues, including outcomes from the recent US-ASEAN Summit and President Biden’s first visit to Asia this week. “Today marks the first time in over three years that our group of AmChams has met in person because of the global pandemic,” said AmCham Hanoi Executive Director Adam Sitkoff.

“We are honored to host so many of our friends here in Hanoi, many of whom are on their first visit back to Vietnam since the start of the pandemic,” he added. Sitkoff also complimented Vietnamese government leaders for taking recent steps to facilitate international travel into Vietnam.

After the visit to Hanoi, the group of visiting executives is spending the weekend in Hue to visit cultural sites and meet with provincial officials as part of AmCham Hanoi’s program to introduce American investors to different parts of Vietnam.

Nam Pham