Tetsuya Watanabe is the President of ERIA (Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia), an international organization located in Jakarta, Indonesia. Before joining ERIA, he was the Special Advisor to the Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry. In his public service career of over 30 years in Japan, Watanabe has held the positions of Director General for the Trade Policy at the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) and Counsellor of the TPP Headquarters at the Cabinet Secretariat, where he was engaged in Japan’s major trade policy initiatives and negotiations in the TPP, RCEP, Japan-US Trade Agreement, Japan-UK Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and the WTO Reforms, among others. He has also served as Vice President of the Research Institute of Economy, Trade, and Industry (RIETI), one of Japan’s most prominent policy think tank. Watanabe is an alumnus of the University of Tokyo and Columbia Law School.

*ERIA is an International Organization established by the Leaders of East Asia Summit (EAS) Member countries in 2008. ERIA provides research and policy support to governments, businesses, and civil society in the ASEAN and East Asia region. ERIA works closely with the ASEAN Secretariat and other multilateral organisations.