The fact that the Philippines-based Asian Development Bank is holding its first mainland United States annual meeting in Seattle in 2001 demonstrates the increasing importance of the Northwest to Asians. Finance ministers, central bank governors and senior officials from 57 nations will meet here to map out plans for development programs and projects throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Traditionally, the host country's head of state delivers the inaugural address at the ADB meeting, so this event also will be an opportunity for the new president to deliver a major policy speech on the United States' role in the international economic system.
Economic globalization is an inarguable reality.
Inasmuch as our local economies are closely tied to the fate of our Asian trading partners, Washington state has a considerable stake in the meeting's outcome. Consequently, Seattle's hosting of this meeting is highly fortuitous. It was not that long ago that the mention of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest within the global community conjured up images of aircraft production, forestry and foul weather. Further igniting the transformation was a local software company that dared to challenge Silicon Valley for supremacy of the cyber world. Not only did it prevail, but ultimately pioneered changes that totally transformed the traditional business milieu as well as the everyday lives of ordinary people throughout the globe.