”We are starting out on an Asian century. This is a great opportunity for German companies. We can build on our strength in innovation as well as a great reputation. But we must be able to enter into partnerships on equal terms. As an exporting nation, we also have to recognize that globalization is not a one-way street.“

Joe Kaeser, APA Chairman

The balance of power in our world is changing, and the Asia-Pacific region will play a leading role in this new world order, geopolitically and geoeconomically. The APA wants to – and will – shape this change together with its partners in the region and is committed to the convergence of the economies of Asia and Europe. We want to improve market access and expand trade and investment – also for Asian companies in Europe. The APA is building bridges between German companies doing business in Asia and politics in Germany as well as in our Asian partner countries. 

The APA is a joint initiative and an 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 our cooperation with the Asia-Pacific region. The APA supports high-level economic talks during visits of Asian government representatives to Germany and during visits 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. Joe Kaeser, President & Chief Executive Officer of Siemens AG, assumed the chairmanship of the APA in February 2019.