简介：It’s a new era in a number of ways. The first is the emergence and use of new antiviral agents for hepatitis C. That is probably what most people would think is the meaning of the subtitle because of these developments and their improvements in treatment response to these agents as well as their likely increasing availability in the world， and particularly the Asia-Pacific region， in the next twelve months. But there is also a more intuitive sense to the title. In my opening address， I will talk about the Asia-Pacific region as an emerging force in global hepatology.