Still reeling from the impact of the finanaal crisis,Asian countries are fac-ing ferocious competition from other economies and inequalities in the global economic order,international trade,capital flows,and technology transfer,and globalization.They have realized that economic globalization has brought not only opportunities but also challenges to Asia which is characterized by eco-nomic diversity,and that it is necessary to adopt effective measures to maxi-mize benefits and avoid risks.As the NAFTA and the EU continues to advance their economic integration agenda,the lack of regional economic schemes in Asia is posing a serious challenge to Asian economies.There is a lack of Asian voice under the existing international multilateral cooperation mechanisms.It is becoming increasingly urgent for Asian economies to strengthen dialogue,coordination and cooperation so as to give a strong boost to the overall com-petitiveness of the region.
It was against this background that the idea of creating an Asian forum proposed by several political leaders in 1998 in Manila quickly gained wide
support of people from all over Asia.In October 1999,former Philippine Pres-ident Fidel Ramos and former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke came to
China to advocate this idea.Vice President Hu Jintao voiced his support.With the support of the government of China and other Asian countries,the Boao
Forum for Asia was established,turning the idea into reality.
The BFA aims to provide a non-governmental,non-profit multilateral plat-form to build consensus about development issues of Asia.It has now become a high-level platform for government,business,and academic leaders from relevant countries in Asia and other continents to exchange views on impor-tant Asian and global issues.The BFA is committed to advancing development agendas of Asian countries by promoting regional economic integration.
"In parallel with Asia's economic and social development,the Boao Forum for Asia has undergone three stages of development in the past 10 years," Zhou Wenzhong,Secretary-General of the BFA,said in an interview with a journal-ist from Cuangming Daily a few days ago.According to Zhou,the primary goal of the forum in the first stage was to address challenges brought by the Asian financial crisis.At that time,Asian countries had an urgent need for a platform that could rally them behind a common goal,that is,development.During this stage,as the largest economy in Asia,China kept the RMB stable in order to support Asian economies through the financial crisis.This made Asian coun-tries recognize the significance of the BFA and China's role in the recovery of the Asian economy.During the second stage,the BFA shifted its focus to exploring the association between regional cooperation in Asia and economic globalization.The theme of the 2004 BFA annual forum was "Win-Win for an Open Asia." As the forum enters the third stage,it is turning its attention to
globalissues such as green development and inclusive development in the con-text of globalization.
Over the past decade,based in Asia and with a global outlook,the BFA has brought new perspectives to some major development issues in Asia and beyond and worked proactively to recruit members from other parts of the world.It has offered constructive suggestions for regional and international cooperation and economic integration.
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