This briefing will explore and compare two corporate cultures in Asia: Japanese and Chinese.

After a distinguished career in British Government and the European Union, Sir Andrew has taken up senior roles at Nomura, the Tokyo-headquartered global investment bank; and Huawei, the Chinese global information and communications technology leader. Sir Andrew will share his experiences of operating within Asian companies with truly global reach.

With China's leadership in transition and an economic slowdown a possibility, what are the risks when dealing with a Chinese company? With political uncertainty and a struggling economy in Japan, is Japanese corporate culture in a place where it can exploit opportunities abroad?

Sir Andrew was Chief Executive of UK Trade & Investment, a role to which he was appointed in 2006. He was also Director of Government and Industry Affairs from 2000 to 2006 for British Airways, and Chef de Cabinet to the Vice President of the European Commission. Sir Andrew has twice worked in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at the UK Permanent Representation to the European Union and for six years in the Cabinet Office in the 1990s. In the 1980s, he was part of the team which created the European Single Market.

This discussion will be held under Chatham House Rules.