President and CEO of Siemens AG Roland Busch has succeeded Joe Kaeser, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Siemens Energy as the chairman of the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA).

APA Chairman Roland Busch. Source: APA

The new APA Chairman stressed the significance of global cooperation in addressing challenges for the development of the world economy.

”We can only overcome the current challenges together. Whether climate change, digitalization, the ongoing pandemic or the geopolitical situation – no country can master them alone,” said Busch.

“As the world's most important growth region, Asia-Pacific has a key position here. That is why the APA wants to intensify the partnership throughout the region and is counting on the strong local presence of the German business community,” he continued.

Meanwhile, Former APA Chairman Joe Kaeser urged German businesses to enhance their influence in the Asia-Pacific region to further contribute to the prosperity and growth of Germany and Europe.

According to Kaeser, the EU should draft a common economic policy regarding this region, which is fast becoming one of the most important driving forces of the global economy.

The APA is a joint initiative and umbrella organization of leading business federations – the Federation of German Industries (BDI), the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), the German Asia-Pacific Business Association (OAV), the Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services (BGA) and the Association of German Banks (Bankenverband).

The APA pools the economic concerns of German businesses active in the Asia-Pacific region and is an agenda-setter for crucial economic issues regarding the future of Germany’s cooperation with the Asia-Pacific region. The APA supports high-level economic talks during visits of Asian government officials to Germany and during tours of members of the German Federal Government to Asia.

One of the main events is the bi-annual Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business, co-organized with the German Chambers of Commerce Abroad and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.