On Thursday, April 11, the Council hosted a roundtable, reception and dinner in honor of H.E. Mai Tien Dung, Minister & Chairman of the Office of the Government of Vietnam, in Washington, D.C., ahead of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Spring Meetings. During the dinner, both Chairman Dung and Deputy USTR Ambassador Jeffrey Gerrish delivered remarks to highlight the importance of the U.S.-Vietnam trade and investment relationship.

From April 3-5, the Council attended the 5th annual ASEAN Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting (AFMGM) in Chiang Rai, Thailand. The delegation of 16 companies was led by Co-chairs of the Council Financial Services Committee Amol Gupte of Citi and Yancy Molnar of Chubb; Alexander Feldman, President and CEO of the US-ASEAN Business Council; and Ambassador Michael W. Michalak, Council Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director.

On April 1, 2019, the Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosted a luncheon roundtable for Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry Darell Leiking during his first visit to Washington, DC. Minister Leiking provided USABC and USCC members an update on Malaysia’s trade agenda in a small off-the-record discussion.

Minister Chan engages American business at US-ASEAN Business Council luncheon on during introductory visit to the United States.

The US-ASEAN Business Council met with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc during its annual Vietnam Business Mission on March 14, 2019. The delegation of 43 companies was co-led by Alexander Feldman, President & CEO of the US-ASEAN Business Council, Ambassador Michael Michalak, Senior Vice President & Regional Managing Director of the US-ASEAN Business Council and Jocot De Dios, CEO of GE Philippines & Managing Director for Government Affairs & Policy of GE Asia Pacific, and Chair of the Council’s Vietnam Committee.

The Council will deeply miss working with Ambassador Virachai and will always remember his great contributions to the Washington D.C. community and the advancement of the U.S.-Thai economic relationship.

On February 12, 2019, the Council hosted a farewell luncheon for H.E. Ambassador Budi Bowoleksono before his return to Indonesia after five years of service in Washington, DC. Ambassador Bowoleksono has made tremendous progress in promoting U.S.-Indonesia relations and it has been our pleasure working with Ambassador Bowoleksono in Washington.

From January 15-17, the Council held its second engagement with the 22nd Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers (M-ATM) in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. The Council’s delegates to the ministerial comprised of senior executives from leading companies across the travel and tourism value chain. During the consultation session with the ASEAN National Tourism Organizations, the Council explored opportunities to strengthen collaboration through multiple platforms, such as organizing a panel on the role of the digital economy in travel and tourism, and business mission road shows to ASEAN countries, among others.

On December 5, the US-ASEAN Business Council hosted a plenary working luncheon with 20 ICT Ministers and Senior Officials from all 10 ASEAN Countries, as well as the Secretary Generals of ASEAN and the ITU, as part of its 2018 Business Mission to the ASEAN Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministers and Senior Officials Meetings (TELMIN/TELSOM). A delegation of 13 companies was led by the Chair of the Council's ICT Committee, Naveen Menon, President for ASEAN of Cisco Systems, Alexander C. Feldman, President and CEO of the US-ASEAN Business Council; and Ambassador Michael W. Michalak, Council Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director.