Top Asia-europe Economic Forum Convenes In Dalian

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Top officials and entrepreneurs from 25 ASEM member countries attended the Asia-Europe High-level Economic Forum, which convened on Tuesday in Dalian, a coastal city in Northeast China's Liaoning Province.

The forum, set to discuss trade and investment issues freely, is the prelude to the ASEM Economic Ministers' Meeting.

The three main topics set by forum organizers are the trend of global economic development, ASEM economic cooperation, and the trade and investment environment in China.

a Deren, Mayor of Dalian Municipal Government and Chair of the forum, delivered his welcome speech and briefly introduced Dalian's economic development.

"In the process of globalization, Dalian is no longer a city of Dalian people alone. It will now integrate itself with the outside world and become on a par with the international economic system. Xia said.

Governor of Liaoning Province Bo Xilai highly praised Dalian, where he also served as a mayor several years ago. "Dalian has a short history of over 100 years, but it's a dynamic city. Please remember Dalian. " Bo said in English. He also recommended ...
... local cities like Yingkou and Fuxin, hoping to attract more foreign investment to restructure local industries.

Lu Fuyuan, Chinese Minister of Commerce, put forward four topics for discussion on the forum. First, ASEM member countries should continue their opening-up economic and trade policy and quicken the pace to facilitate trade and investment.

Second, they should further strengthen cooperation on technology. Third, they should tap the potential of current cooperation mechanism. Fourth, ASEM member countries should make full use of the creativity of enterprises and provide good environment for their cooperation.

Lu said that Asia and Europe shared great potential in economic cooperation, which is of vital importance. He urged members of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) to strengthen economic cooperation and further expand trade ties between the two continents.

Lu acknowledged that the ASEM members should adopt more open economic policies to improve mutual investment and trade. He urged all the members to identify the goals and priorities of economic and technological cooperation to meet the needs of economic development.

"Since China's accession to the WTO in 2001, it has standardized its economic and trade policies and improved the transparency of its decision-making. Market openness is further enlarged. China's huge market brings lots of business opportunities for enterprises worldwide.

In the past five years, the import volume of China reached US$1.0689 trillion. In the next three years, the predicted import volume will exceed US$1 trillion." Lu said.

An EU official said in her speech that globalization has brought different results for some developing countries. "East Asia has benefited from the globalization, while African countries haven't."

She took the foreign direct investment (FDD as an example where some regions like the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong attracted 34 percent of the total FDI last year, while South African countries saw only 0. 5 percent of FDI inflow. "Globalization brings benefits and risks. What we should do is to maximize the former and minimize the latter. "

She concluded.Mr. Phehin Abdul Ragman Tab, the Minister of Industry and Primary Resources of Brunei, highlighted the economic integration in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"ASEAN's share in world GDP has risen from 4. 2 percent two years China's economy maintains on the whole a momentum of growth this year. From January to June, the total import and export of China reached US$376. 143 billion, increasing by 39 percent over the last year.

Of that, export accounted for US$190.321 billion, up 34 percent, while import accounted for US$185.822 billion, up 44. 5 percent. Here I'd like to mention in particular that the import has increased rapidly, with its growth of ten percentage points more than that of export.

The total value of newly signed investment contacts reached US$50.958 billion, an increase by 40. 25 percent; and the actually utilized value reached US$30. 255 billion, an increase by 34. 33 percent.

We are confident that the target of 8 percent growth in GDP of this year will be achieved. China has established the target of striving for building a well-off society in an all round way in the next 20 years and for quadrupling its GDP of 2000 by the end of 2020.

To reach such an ambitious goal, China will open itself wider to the outside world and further develop international and regional trade and economic cooperation with the international community, including ASEM members.

I believe that China, a country with a population of 1. 3 billion people and a rapid and constant economic growth, enjoys infinite business opportunities. China will provide the world with a market with great potential and offer more possibilities for cooperation.

Ladies and gentlemen, The Asia-Europe High Level Economic Forum provides a good opportunity for ASEM member governments and the business community to conduct dialogues and exchanges of views.

I hope the Forum could help enhance the mutual understanding among ASEM governments and the business community, contribute useful suggestions and recommendations for Asia-Europe economic cooperation, and play an active and constructive role in strengthening Asia-Europe economic cooperation and promoting trade, investment, economic and technological cooperation between and among ASEM members.

Last but not least, I would like to wish this Asia-Europe High Level Economic Forum a complete success. Thank you all.