A Central Role in the Asia-Pacific and the “Pacific Century”

Building on the Success of APEC.

At the 2011 APEC summit in Honolulu, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced: “It is becoming increasingly clear that the world’s strategic and economic center of gravity will be the Asia-Pacific, from the Indian subcontinent to the western shores of the Americas.”

Honolulu is smack dab in the middle of this strategic and economic center of gravity – poised to play a pivotal role in what President Obama has called “the Pacific Century”.

We need to participate vigorously in the Asia-Pacific community to harness the potential for good, high-pay jobs that allow working families to achieve their goals, and allow our children to remain in Hawaii. This means engaging face to face – both here and abroad – with the leaders and citizens of our neighbor nations.

By successfully hosting the APEC summit under budget and without a single event-related arrest, Honolulu showed the world our ability to host global-level events safely, professionally, and with aloha. My administration is building on this momentum to position our city as an international center of commerce, culture, diplomacy, and technology innovation.

Nurturing and expanding sister-city partnerships.

In 2011, Honolulu hosted the first Sister Cities Summit in partnership with the city council, the private sector, and other counties, welcoming delegates from 14 international cities to share information on economic opportunities and technology.

Promoting international exchange.

Honolulu hosted the 2011 Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit and Expo, which brought together 1,100 people from 14 nations to discuss and share clean energy technology.