US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said the economic rise of the Asia-Pacific region is an astonishing historic achievement that is reshaping our world today and into the future.

"In Hanoi, bicycles and water buffaloes have given way to motorcycles and internet cafes. Small Chinese fishing villages like Shenzhen have become megacities with their own stock exchanges," she said. "And while much remains to improve labor practices and expand access to the formal economy, the numbers tell a powerful story."