15 August 2014 - China-ASEAN Business Association (CABA) Chairman and former Secretary General of ASEAN for the ASEAN Economic Community (2009-2012) Puspanathan Sundram called on Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Mr. Antonio A. Morales on July 22 at the Embassy.  Also present during the call is Commercial Counsellor Mr. Glenn G. Peñaranda and Ms. Celia Zheng of the CABA Secretariat.

During the call, Mr. Sundram explained that CABA is a non-profit and non-governmental organization established in Singapore which sought to develop and build business, trade and investment opportunities in the flourishing ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA).

The CABA Chairman intimated that its organization is composed of distinguished Advisors from Trade Associations and Chambers of Commerce from China and the 10 ASEAN countries, including the Private Sector (MNCs and SMEs from ASEAN-China cooperation priority sectors), Academia and Think Tanks, former ministers, senior government officials and academic experts.

Mr. Sundram also enumerated the key objectives of CABA, namely:

•           The encouragement and development of business and economic institutions between ASEAN and China;

•           Promotion of mutually beneficial trade, investment and other cooperation among the business circles in the ASEAN countries and China under the framework of ACFTA; and,

•           To foster cooperation between business and economic circles and countries outside ACFTA and ultimately promoting growth of the world economy.

The feature programs of CABA comprise of dialogues between ASEAN Economic Ministers, the ASEAN Secretary General and the CABA Company Council.  It also organizes bilateral meetings between business leaders and selected ASEAN and other ministers, as well as round-table discussions with regional market experts and senior officials, said Mr. Sundram.

Among the proposed activities which CABA wishes to realize in the near future include the organization of workshops on “How Business can succeed in ACFTA?” and “ASEAN Outlook – Business Operation in AEC 2015.”  It also aims to come up with an official publication and to conduct future business missions with ASEAN-member countries.

Ambassador Morales, in response to Mr. Sundram’s request to identify prospective Philippine companies and Chambers of Commerce,  expressed eagerness to tap CABA, among other business associations in Singapore, to co-organize round-table discussions, meetings and similar activities in the pursuit of mutually beneficial and fruitful trade collaborations.

With China being the biggest trading partner of ASEAN since 2009, with trade reaching over US$400 billion, “the prospects for even greater trade and investments between China and ASEAN remain bright,” said the Ambassador. END