ASIA SOCIETY PRESENTS RICH OFFERING OF BUSINESS PROGRAMS DURING SPRING 2002

Through a series of timely Business Programs to be held throughout Spring 2002, the Asia Society will bring Asia's government and industry leaders together with American policymakers, global investors and senior executives to discuss a broad range of issues affecting the current business environment in Asia. Sponsored by Dow Jones & Company, Inc., the Society's Spring 2002 Business Programs will address energy issues in Central Asia, challenges facing Western multinational corporations in Asia, the development of capital markets in China, and more. Programs will be held at the Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue (at 70th Street), in New York City.

"Through this spring's business conference lineup, Asian and American industry leaders will take an in-depth look at the myriad issues driving Asia's business world today," said Robert W. Radtke, Vice President for Policy and Business Programs. "We are extremely grateful to Dow Jones for their sponsorship of our 2002 New York Business Programs and are pleased to provide a leading forum for executives to meet the policy makers and business leaders who shape U.S.-Asia commerce."

Programs begin in March, with a major energy conference, The Future of Multinational Energy Companies in Asia, that will examine the dynamics of oil and gas supply in south and Central Asia, Russia and the Middle East. This half-day briefing-to be held Tuesday, March 26, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.-will bring together a diverse group of investors and industry experts who will look at how multinational energy companies are changing their approach to the region in light of new security concerns and recent developments in U.S. strategic policy.

Through a recently initiated luncheon series, After the World Trade Center: The Impact on Asia and the International Business Community, the Asia Society is providing a forum for international business leaders to assess the impact of September 11 on the global economic environment. A highlight of the series will be a luncheon address by William J. McDonough, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, on Thursday, April 4, at 12:00 p.m.

The spring season of business programming will culminate with a two-day conference Returning to Sustained Growth in Asia: How Asia's Economies Can Compete in Challenging Times, taking place at the conclusion of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C. The conference, to be held at Asia Society on Monday April 22, at 6:00 p.m. and Tuesday, April 23 at 8:30 a.m., promises to be one of the spring's most important Asia-focused business events in New York, bringing together government, and business leaders together to discuss the reforms needed to put Asia's economies back on track.

The historic changes currently underway as a result of China's accession to the WTO and the country's commitment to accelerate its economic reform include widespread developments in capital markets. Investing in China's Capital Markets: Where Will WTO-Sparked Reforms Lead? is a daylong conference that will be held on Thursday, May 9, at 8:00 a.m. The event is organized in collaboration with the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, Chinese officials, financial services executives and leading scholars of Chinese economics.

The Asia Society will present a half-day program that examines business and security environments in Asia encountered by Western multinational corporations in light of the ongoing war against terrorism. Back to Business in Asia: International Management Strategies For a New Era will be held on Tuesday, May 21, at 8:00 a.m. The May 21 program focuses on strategic planning, new barriers to market entry, the changing nature of risk assessment and the implementation of new security structures in Asia.

Asia Society is America's leading nonprofit, nonpartisan public education organization to broaden understanding of Asia and of U.S.-Asia relations. The Society presents a wide variety of educational programs on Asian contemporary affairs and cultures for professional audiences, including business executives, foreign affairs specialists, the media and the general public. Asia Society is headquartered in New York, with regional centers in Washington, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Melbourne, Australia, and representative offices in San Francisco, Manila and Shanghai. Asia Society is on the World Wide Web at www.asiasociety.org. A wealth of information on a range of Asia business-related issues can be found at www.AsiaBusinesToday.org, a special online resource from Asia Society and Citigroup.

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