Cherishing opportunities to build a harmonious Asia

The ten-year-old BFA has been an important force in building consensus in the region, promoting Asia's voice and boosting Asian cooperation.

Over the decade, China has established various cooperative partnerships with almost all other Asian countries, and has become the largest trading partner and export market for many of them.

"China cannot achieve development and prosperity without Asia, and Asia needs China for development and prosperity," Chinese President Hu said in his speech at the opening ceremony of this year's forum.

Ramos, one of the founders of the BFA, told Xinhua that the BFA is the first Asia-based international forum that aims to promote the Asian countries' interest through economic integration, transregional cooperation and cross-cultural interaction.

This year's BFA forum was held under the theme of "Inclusive Development: Common Agenda and New Challenges."

Noting that the people of Asia have a shared mission to promote common development and build a harmonious Asia, the Chinese president made a five-point proposal to achieve the goal, namely respecting the diversity of civilizations, transforming the development pattern, sharing development opportunities, seeking common ground while shelving differences, and championing mutual benefit.

The Associated Press reported last Friday that through the proposal, the Chinese leader was calling for Asian nations to better cooperate in security matters in the region increasingly beset by rival territorial claims.

Meanwhile, the Singaporean newspaper Lianhe Zaobao said Monday in an editorial that, as China is ready to adopt an open strategy that is more active in the coming five years to create and enhance benefits in Asia, it will also be committed to resolving disputes with its neighboring countries through peaceful means.

Over the past decade, Asia has achieved rapid economic growth and flourishing regional cooperation, which Hu considered a result of the unyielding spirit of seeking self-improvement, the innovative spirit of breaking new ground, the open and inclusive spirit of learning from others, as well as the spirit of helping each other in difficult times -- all values shared by the Asian people.

The four values named by the Chinese leader were hailed by media across the region such as the Indonesia-based International Daily News, which said all Asian countries should cherish the hard-won historic opportunities to promote cooperation and build a harmonious Asia.