Top leaders from 15 Pacific Rim nations will be in Seattle during the week of Nov. 14th through the 20th.
I will be fortunate enough to be in attendance for a few of the public ceremonies and forums.
I would appreciate your coments and observations on how this event impacts on the economic climate where you are.
I will also check in during the week with my observations from on scene.
Stay in touch!
John Sheehan/aka IAmACamera
Subj: Seattle 11/14 -20
Date: 93-11-14 10:50:40 EST
From: Poliwonk
Posted on: America Online
I'm here, anticipating traffic gridlock. What residents wonder: will Bill see our homeless?
Subj: Homelessness
Date: 93-11-14 14:26:08 EST
From: IAmACamera
Posted on: America Online
Dear Poliwonk,
I'm sure President Clinton, as well as all of the economic leaders of the Asian nations coming to Seattle, is quite aware of the problem of homelessness and unemployment in America.
It would, I'm sure, be the hope of all involved that expanding markets would result in creating jobs and the strenghthening the overall economies of member nations.
Thank you for contributing to this file. As for the gridlock, I guess that we in Seattle will have to live this week with the added burden that comes with hosting an even of this magnitude. I'm sure that we will be able to show the world our own brand of Northwest patience and hospitality.
Yours truly,
John Sheehan/aka IAmACamera
Subj: Monday 11/15/93
Date: 93-11-15 20:21:23 EST
From: IAmACamera
Posted on: America Online
I spent the first day of the conference recieving my press credentials and getting in touch with my sources.
2,500+ journalists from around the world have checked into town to cover this event. The scene in the media area was a subdued chaos as most of the early arrivals got aclimated. Most of the real activity will happen later in the week when most of the leaders arrive on Thursday.
Today was taken up by the advance teams of technicians setting up communication links to all corners of the world.
Tomarrow I shall acompany the foreign press on a tour of Microsoft and the next day the Boeing plant. I'm looking forward to their reactions to American high-tech and am wondering what kinds of questions they will have.
Stay in touch,
John Sheehan/aka IAmACamera
Subj: Tuesday 11/16/93
Date: 93-11-16 21:16:38 EST
From: IAmACamera
Posted on: America Online
Today Microsoft held a tour for the foriegn press attending the APEC Conference here in Seattle.
Microsoft estimates that attending "economies", as the nations coming to this conference are being called, represent 15 to 20% of it's fiscal revenues worldwide, which in FY'93 were estimated at $3.75 billion.
Throughout Microsoft's Far East region, with subsidiaries in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, as well is it's largest overseas market: Japan, it markets and supports over 35 localized product releases. Overall Microsoft has appoximately 100 English and 300 other language versions of it's products that it sells world wide.
With that kind of commitment to the global market, it's not surprising that Microsoft is a leader in advocating open markets and mutual economic developement.
More to come throughout the week. Stay in touch.
John Sheehan/aka IAmACamera
Subj: Wednesday 11/17/93
Date: 93-11-17 20:20:36 EST
From: IAmACamera
Posted on: America Online
Secretary of State Warren Christopher delivered the first substantive address of the Asian Pacific Co-operation (APEC) Conference today in Seattle.
Speaking before the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington today, Secretary Christopher called APEC "another vital part of our strategy to strengthen regional trading ties...not to micro-manage trade, but to get bureaucracy out of the way of business, and to promote co-operation among diverse economies."
In response to questions about human rights issues among the "Economies" represented in at the APEC meeting, Christopher went on to say:
"Human rights is a key issue in our relationship with several Asian countries, including Burma, Viet Nam, Indonesia, and China. The Clinton Administration has developed a policy toward China that reflects both our values and our interests....
"Recent problems have created the risk of a downward spiral in our relationship. On human rights, unless there is overall significant progress, the Presedent will not be able to renew China's Most Favored Nation status."
Christopher also spoke about North Korea's refusal to grant international inspectors full access to nuclear sites;
"If North Korea refuses the necessary inspections...then we are prepared to recomend that the UN Security Council consider options other then negotiations."
Leaders from around the Pacific Rim are schedualed to arrive latter today and during the day on Thursday. President Clinton and Prime Minister Hosokawa of Japan, as well as Foriegn Minister Jiang of China are all due to arrive tomarrow morning.
Stay in touch.
John Sheehan/aka IAmACamera
Subj: Thursday 11/18/93
Date: 93-11-19 03:00:45 EST
From: IAmACamera
Posted on: America Online
Very busy today. President Clinton and most of the other leaders arrived. Receptions 'till all hours. Too much to assimillate all at once. It will take me most of Friday to recover and collect my thoughts. More will follow.
Stay in touch,
John Sheehan/aka IAmACamera
Subj: APEC
Date: 93-11-19 11:38:47 EST
From: CheWOOD
Posted on: America Online
Thanks for your reporting. I wonder what your impression is of the new leader from Japan. He is supposed to be a new type of leader for Japan with ideas to change his country. What do you think of him?
Regards,
Chet Wood
Subj: Japan's Prime Minister
Date: 93-11-19 23:51:04 EST
From: IAmACamera
Posted on: America Online
Dear CheWood,
Japan's new Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa is indeed a new breed of Japanese politition. His victory over the political party that has been running the country since the war does harold a new era of political reform in Japan.
A biographical note; Hosokawa's father was a high ranking minister who apposed the military's plans for war in the late '30's. He took his own life soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Hosokawa comes to Seattle, much like President Clinton, fresh from a victory in the Japanese Diet on the passing of sweeping political reform mesures.
Thank you for contributing to this file. More first hand observations coming soon. Just taking some time to gather my notes as events start to happen back-to-back from now through Saturday.
Stay in touch.
John Sheehan/ aka IAmACamera
Subj: APEC
Date: 93-11-20 11:58:11 EST
From: LarryB1070
Posted on: America Online
APEC serves as a forum for the U.S. to strengthen its economic ties with other Pacific nations. However, unless substantive trade agreements are reached during the meeting, its impact on the U.S. will be minimal.
Based on the results so far, it appears that neither of our two largest trading partners, Japan and China, are in any mood to make concessions on trade or human rights. The sale of one super computer simply will not encourage China to change its policies, but the loss of MFN might.
As for Japan, they are in the midst of a recession. Although the Japanese Prime Minister will benefit from direct contact with other Pacific leaders, I simply do not anticipate any concessions.
The result of the conference: everyone smiles and nods and the U.S. trade deficit continues to climb.
Subj: China/MFN
Date: 93-11-20 12:40:04 EST
From: CheWOOD
Posted on: America Online
It is correct to put pressure on China regarding their human rights problems. I worry if we remove the MFN from China it could lead to a major trade restriction with us both ways with China. China is a very rapidly growing market and for us to lose any time trading with China will give Japan and other Asian countries a large advantage over us. China can buy more airplanes in the next 10 years that we sell to our largest customer Japan. We can't lose this type of business.
IAmACamera -Thank you for your information on Prime Minister Hosokawa it was very interesting. Hope to hear more.
Chet Wood
Subj: Saturday 11/20/93
Date: 93-11-21 02:35:52 EST
From: IAmACamera
Posted on: America Online
As the APEC Conference winds down I hope to be able to catch my breath and collect my notes.
To LarryB1070: You may well have a point about China's unwillingness to give on human rights concerns. China's President Jiang said today that he cannot understand why the U.S. should be interested in a few "criminals". His idea of human rights is feeding millions.
At a seminar on Asia Pacific Trade on Friday, Former Senator Adlai Stevenson warned against putting too much emphisis on human rights as a condition on further trade. Mr. Stevenson said that fostering economic growth in China may very well bring about a middle class that will create the politcal preasure necessary to sustain a drive for human rights from within.
Although we would like to see a change in conditions for all peoples of the world, it seems that the public can be selective in it's sentiments about who to pressure on the issue.
Thank you for your contribution to this file. Stay in touch.
John Sheehan/ aka IAmACamera
Subj: Evaluation, IAmACamera?
Date: 93-11-21 20:09:13 EST
From: Randy S
Posted on: America Online
APEC has ended and I am left with a number of unanswered questions, perhaps you can shed some light on what did or didn't happen:
1. What was the point of APEC?
2. What was accomplished?
Secretary of State Warren Christopher has said that "There were no specific commitments coming out of this meeting". He also said that the "message is really in the fact of the meeting", not that they really accomplished anything. There seem to have been the usual "smiles and nods" referred to by LarryB1070 above. This seems to be the typical result of all the trade negotiations we've had for the last several decades.
3. How long before Japan starts building commercial aircraft?
Much was made in the news about how much Boeing sells in Asia. Japan is now Boeing's largest customer. Taking a longer term view, as they do in Japan, how long will it be before aircraft made in Japan become Boeing's biggest competition?
4. Has anything changed since the last time I was in Seattle?
Those who saw the coverage of this conference saw a busy harbor, filled with ships visiting the Seattle docks. The last time I was in Seattle (some time ago) I noticed that just about all of the ships were foreign ships. We don't build many ships in this country, except a few warships. The ships were being unloaded by giant cranes. Those cranes were made by Hitachi. Even the containers they lifted were foreign made. On the other hand, the Japanese refused to allow importing of Washington apples. They promised to "look into it". Then they smiled and nodded. Has anything changed?
Randy S
Subj: Answering Randy S
Date: 93-11-22 12:59:11 EST
From: Hiroshi231
Posted on: America Online
An answer to Q3
Some Japanese industries, such as Fuji Heavy Industry, are making small commercial aircraft for domestic use. And Fuji Heavy Industry is participating the Boeing's 777 project. The company provides some part of 777's body. I don't think the company has an intention to make jumbo class commercial aircraft by itself in near future. You may know that even Boeing orders many parts of 777 from all over the world.
Subj: To Randy S
Date: 93-11-22 23:17:39 EST
From: IAmACamera
Posted on: America Online
Thank you for contributing to this file.
In answer to the questions you posed, APEC accomplished itself as an informal forum where the leaders of the Pacific Rim economies got to sit down and face one another in the same room. For many, this in itself would be an accomplishment.
If anyone was expecting to wake up on Monday morning with a brave new world fashioned from the APEC meeting, they would be saddly disappointed. As far as subsitive trade agreements, the Uraguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in December will be the place to watch. There is where you would find progress on the issues such as Washington Apples and other agricultural products going to Japan.
In the final annalysis, APEC was a token representing the commitment of those economies involved to negotiate common trade practices some time in the future. Given that Hong Kong will be absorbed by China in 1997, that future is on the horizon.
Subj: Thanks, Hiroshi231
Date: 93-11-28 23:03:21 EST
From: Randy S
Posted on: America Online
Quoting Hiroshi231:
"An answer to Q3: Some Japanese industries, such as Fuji Heavy Industry, are making small commercial aircraft for domestic use. And Fuji Heavy Industry is participating the Boeing's 777 project. The company provides some part of 777's body. I don't think the company has an intention to make jumbo class commercial aircraft by itself in near future. You may know that even Boeing orders many parts of 777 from all over the world.
Thanks Hiroshi231, for providing the information on Fuji Heavy Industry. When you say that they are "participating", I am reminded of earlier joint ventures involving US and Japanese companies. Long ago, for example, Bell & Howell was a US camera maker and began to market Japanese "Bell & Howell/Canon" cameras. Later, after the Canon name became well known and was being widely distributed, the marketing agreement ended. Canon began selling directly, while Bell & Howell eventually left the photo market. Participation was a prelude to Bell & Howell's elimination. Now except for a few Kodaks and Polaroids, most camera store stock is about 90% imported.
In checking up on Fuji Heavy Industry, I discovered that one of their subsidiaries makes the Subaru car. So I would imagine that a Fuji airplane might turn out to be sort of like a Subaru with wings on it. And nobody would want to ride around in some cheap little Japanese plane like that, would they? So I guess that US aircraft manufacturers have nothing to worry about.... Or isn't that what they used to think in Detroit, about those "cheap little Japanese cars"?
The Japanese have been very skillful in temporarily "cooperating" with US companies to acquire their technology or to penetrate our markets. Once they get what they need the cooperation ends. Five or ten years down the road, we may discover that the current Boeing/Fuji deal was yet another example.
Subj:The skillful Japanese?
Date: 93-12-01 23:32:24 EST
From: Hiroshi231
Posted on: America Online
I am no expert on business conduct. However, I believe that when two private companies tie up each other, both parties expect mutual benefits from it. In other words, there must be capital exchange between them. For instance, A company acquires B company's technologies or assets, and B company is paid for it on an agreed contract. This "skillful" A company is not necessarily always Japanese one, would be US one or others. Anyway, private firms are basically rational institutions when they think of profits. And eventually, companies which make cheaper or better products are likely to survive in this competitive and rational economic world, aren't they.
Subj: Boeing to Lay Off 3,000
Date: 93-12-05 19:46:37 EST
From: Randy S
Posted on: America Online
Boeing announced last week that they would be laying off another 3,000 workers, adding to previous cuts of 14,000. The total number of planned layoffs is now, I think, 28,000 (I saw different numbers in different places).
It seems fairly obvious that this bit of news was known at Boeing during the APEC meetings. But I guess they didn't want to mention it while Clinton was there telling us how rich we'd all be getting from free trade. There's no point in announcing bad news while the whole world is watching.
This latest layoff announcement, like the others, was blamed on the problems in the airlines. Yet while Boeing is cutting production, United airlines has bought 15 or 20 of the European Airbus aircraft. This is *good*, though, because thanks to free trade, United gets to buy what they want. Competition is good and Boeing will just have to try *harder*.
On the other hand do we really have free trade and fair competition in the aircraft industry? How much is the Airbus subsidized in Europe, at the cost of jobs at Boeing? And how much is Boeing actually being subsidized by our own government in purchases of military aircraft?
