:00:15. > :00:25.We go live to the Apec summit in Manila for some upbeat reactions on
:00:26. > :00:28.the TDP. And paying for a purse, we look inside some of the most
:00:29. > :00:41.exclusive crocodile skin handbags -- TPP. Hello and welcome to Asia
:00:42. > :00:45.Business Report. It is the final day of the Apec leaders summit in Manila
:00:46. > :00:49.and President Obama has said he is confident Congress will ratify a
:00:50. > :00:53.major trade deal called the TPP before the term ends. The
:00:54. > :00:58.Trans-Pacific Partnership covers 40% of the world economy but has some
:00:59. > :01:01.high-profile opponents, like US presidential hopeful Hillary
:01:02. > :01:05.Clinton. Russia and China have criticised the deal but that has not
:01:06. > :01:08.dented the expectations of business leaders who are meeting a head of
:01:09. > :01:16.the summit in Manila. Rico Hizon gyms -- joins us now from Manila
:01:17. > :01:22.outside the Apec centre. Tell us what business leaders are telling
:01:23. > :01:29.you. Well, at least point, from small to medium-sized businesses to
:01:30. > :01:32.the large multinational companies, a lot of hope is riding on this
:01:33. > :01:38.Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, from retailers like Walmart,
:01:39. > :01:41.logistics giant FedEx and the energy company General Electric, they have
:01:42. > :01:46.voiced support for the trade deal, which they hope will bring down
:01:47. > :01:53.trade barriers in 40% of the world economy. One group that is hoping to
:01:54. > :01:59.bank some major initiatives in the region is General Electric. I spoke
:02:00. > :02:07.with the vice-chairman of this power company and asked him about this
:02:08. > :02:11.initiative. It is enormous because it will touch many of the billion
:02:12. > :02:16.and a half people in the world that lack the basics when it comes to
:02:17. > :02:20.electricity, clean water, basic forms of healthcare, basic forms of
:02:21. > :02:28.transportation. So, hundreds of billions, more, huge amounts of
:02:29. > :02:32.money, because you are going to touch the world's population that
:02:33. > :02:36.needs infrastructure. The TPP is discussed at this leaders summit,
:02:37. > :02:42.what does the approval of it mean for General Electric? Over the long
:02:43. > :02:50.run, we believe from beginning to end in free and fair trade. We have
:02:51. > :02:55.about 7000 employees in the ASEAN region. 75% of the work they do in
:02:56. > :02:58.each country gets exported to another country. The reason we are
:02:59. > :03:03.able to do that is because of these goods are moving to countries where
:03:04. > :03:07.trade barriers either don't exist or they are modest. If they go down
:03:08. > :03:11.from where they are or they are eliminated entirely we will have
:03:12. > :03:15.more employees in the ASEAN region and we will make more investment and
:03:16. > :03:23.will be exported other countries and regions around the world -- exported
:03:24. > :03:28.to. That was the General Electric vice-chairman. Other countries in
:03:29. > :03:33.the ASEAN region will want to be part of the TPP, Indonesia and the
:03:34. > :03:38.Philippines for example. Before they can join the group, this 12 member
:03:39. > :03:43.TPP has to be ratified by the Congress and parliaments of
:03:44. > :03:49.respective countries. From the Apec meeting, back to you. Thank you. In
:03:50. > :03:55.other news, Japanese exports fell 21%, a third decline in a year.
:03:56. > :04:00.These figures underscore the external demand hit by China's
:04:01. > :04:07.slowing growth -- two .1%. It does show a trade surplus. In point fell
:04:08. > :04:12.13%, largely in cheaper oil for the country's energy needs the gender
:04:13. > :04:16.pay gap is an issue for the world. Singapore tops the table among Asian
:04:17. > :04:21.nations for closing the gap. The number of women in the workforce has
:04:22. > :04:29.jumped 15% in the decade and it has risen by a comparable amount -- and
:04:30. > :04:32.salaries has risen. It is however worse for work-life balance and the
:04:33. > :04:41.birth rate is falling. As part of the 100 women series, we report. A
:04:42. > :04:46.morning update to kickstart the day at one of Singapore's most valuable
:04:47. > :04:51.firms. This woman has worked at the telecoms giant SingTel for 27 years.
:04:52. > :04:56.She was the first woman to break through the ranks of senior
:04:57. > :05:00.management in the company. Even in this modern and developed city a
:05:01. > :05:05.woman at the top is still there. She is now the CEO of the group, running
:05:06. > :05:09.the organisation. She is not alone. At least one third of SingTel's top
:05:10. > :05:14.decision-makers are made up of women. At their journey has not been
:05:15. > :05:22.easy. Don't expect to be given any privileges. You've got to work as
:05:23. > :05:27.hard as anyone. The same desire and the same kind of drive as anyone if
:05:28. > :05:34.you want to succeed. But very few have managed to levels of success.
:05:35. > :05:38.Only 15% of the top jobs in Singapore are held by women.
:05:39. > :05:41.Singaporean women are still struggling to keep up with many of
:05:42. > :05:46.their Asian counterparts, especially when it comes to female
:05:47. > :05:52.representation on management boards. Women make up just over 8% of boards
:05:53. > :05:58.here and they are paid at least 10% less than men doing the same job in
:05:59. > :06:03.most sectors. Some women choose to opt out of a career altogether to
:06:04. > :06:07.focus on their families. This woman gave up her job as a doctor because
:06:08. > :06:11.she wanted to spend more time with her children. Now she runs her own
:06:12. > :06:16.business and heads an organisation for women entrepreneurs. Culturally
:06:17. > :06:22.there is still a lot of expectation that women have to be the caregivers
:06:23. > :06:25.in the household. A lot of women feel they want to be as well. So,
:06:26. > :06:33.until the workplace environment is conducive to give women the
:06:34. > :06:39.flexibility to make their families a priority, it will be a challenge and
:06:40. > :06:41.it will be a struggle. But pushing through Singapore's male dominated
:06:42. > :06:51.business world may mean making some sacrifices. Even as a postgraduate
:06:52. > :06:55.student, this woman is clear that if she wants a career, family is not an
:06:56. > :06:59.option. Working in Singapore is stressful. For me I tend to work
:07:00. > :07:05.very long. Maybe that is why I don't want kids. It is quite hard to
:07:06. > :07:08.balance if I want a career. Increasingly, Singaporean women are
:07:09. > :07:17.setting sights on success. But many are struggling to find the balance
:07:18. > :07:26.between work and family. Now, how much would you pay for bags
:07:27. > :07:30.like these? Five, ten, $25,000? This morning we looked at Ada spoke
:07:31. > :07:35.enterprise board of humble beginnings. Even Coe grew up in his
:07:36. > :07:39.family's tanning business, who have imported crocodile skins from
:07:40. > :07:46.Australia, Africa and the US for four generations, supplying the top
:07:47. > :07:58.fashion houses. In his 20s he went out on his own. He makes bags and he
:07:59. > :08:01.is talking to Ali Moore. We see ourselves like a private members
:08:02. > :08:06.club. There are no rules on who can join. It is as simple as word of
:08:07. > :08:08.mouth. And having the money and ability to afford but also to
:08:09. > :08:32.appreciate the finer things in life. As a young kid I was always
:08:33. > :08:36.passionate about crocodile skins, and as they come from four
:08:37. > :08:39.generations of heritage, I grew up with a tannery at the back of my
:08:40. > :08:43.home and I would see my father and grandfather collaring the crocodile
:08:44. > :08:51.skins, which sparked my interest at a very young age. Each bag really
:08:52. > :08:56.starts from the farm. Each bag in terms of making a day bad for a
:08:57. > :09:00.woman, the crocodile itself takes about four crocodile Sperber. Does
:09:01. > :09:07.it offer you at all that these reptiles are killed just for a
:09:08. > :09:10.handbag? -- per bag. I think for crocodile skins there is a
:09:11. > :09:17.misconception. It is a tightly regulated process. We have an
:09:18. > :09:22.organisation called the Convention of International eating in Engage it
:09:23. > :09:29.Species, which is all part of the programme. -- Endangered. I started
:09:30. > :09:36.making a my mum's friends and I some pocket money, then I started eating
:09:37. > :09:41.K. I started with less than $5,000 which is a loan my father gave me
:09:42. > :09:45.and I have a couple of customers through word of mouth -- Ethan K.
:09:46. > :09:49.Word of mouth is so important in what we do. You could buy a small
:09:50. > :09:54.house in some countries for the price of a Ethan K date. Not just a
:09:55. > :09:58.house but even a part as well. A Ethan K customer is not
:09:59. > :10:05.aspirational. The Ethan K bag,. Person is someone who has already
:10:06. > :10:09.arrived -- Ethan K bag. Telling us his story there. Let's look at
:10:10. > :10:13.markets. Asian shares that are open up having a good day, the Japanese
:10:14. > :10:20.Nikkei up at a three-month high of. Australia continuing over 1%. Hong
:10:21. > :10:28.Kong's Ansan just opening up with a good amount of games -- three-month
:10:29. > :10:34.high. This is because US stocks rallied due to the US Fed suggesting
:10:35. > :10:39.a rate rise could be imminent. That is it for this edition of Asia
:10:40. > :10:46.Business Report. Thank you for watching.