An official of the Boao Forum for Asia said that an arrangement
should be made to connect the whole Asia, including a link between
East Asia and Central Asia as well as South Asia.
Long Yongtu, secretary-general of the BFA, a non-governmental
organization serving as a platform voicing for Asia's future, said
that East Asia is currently the most active in regional economic
cooperation.
Its economies are moving fastest, while it has incorporated
itself into the ASEAN PLUS THREE (10+3) and APEC, two regional
frameworks for political, economic and social cooperation between
East and Southeast Asian countries and regions, Long said.
However, South Asia, Central Asia and West Asia have been
forgotten in the entire Asian regional cooperation process, he
said.
Long said that West Asia and South Asia used to be
underdeveloped, but things are different now. India is rising,
capital from West Asia is looking for opportunities elsewhere, and
the Middle East has become an important source of energy supply to
China, Japan and other Asian economies.
Long, former vice minister of foreign trade of China and chief
negotiator for China's entry into the World Trade Organization,
said that Asian countries outside East Asia are hoping to see an
arrangement connecting the whole of Asia, while Australia and New
Zealand are making efforts to "join" Asia and take a positive
approach to the Asian economic integration.
Against such a backdrop, he said, Boao Forum for Asia, which is
a dialogue channel for the whole Asia, wishes to play its unique
role to fill in the vacuum.
According to Long, Pakistan, a member of the Boao forum, takes
geographical and social advantages to serve as a key link between
the Middle East and other parts of Asia. The country's economy is
expanding rapidly, and its policy makers have in the past few years
created an environment within which the private sector has begun to
flourish.
To realize its potential to play a key role in the region,
Pakistan is improving its social infrastructure, increasing
development spending, and attracting more foreign investment, Long
said.
The Boao Forum for Asia was established in 2001 to record and
disseminate precious thoughts of Asian and global government
leaders, scholars and entrepreneurs. This year's event is the sixth
annual meeting for the forum, which runs from April 20 to 22.
The forum this year draws 1,300 well-known people from
political, economic and social arenas around the world.
(Xinhua News Agency April 20, 2007)