Chinese Vice-Premier Li Lanqing attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. He said that with the speed-up of economic globalization and regionalization, the world economy becomes much dynamic but yet exists uncertainty. This brings about both opportunities and challenges for the development of the Northeast Asian nations.

He added that enhancing the regional dialogues and cooperation in all fields conforms to the trend of the world economic development, and deepening the cooperation in Northeast Asia helps the countries of the region take the advantages of their own to arrange resources effectively and increase their capability to confront risk.

Li said that china has taken an active part in the Northeast Asian cooperation, and after entering the World Trade Organization (WTO), China will be more open to the world, and pay much attention to the economic and trade relations with the nations of Northeast Asia.

He noted that China is ready to expand the trade and technological cooperation with the Northeast Nations in the principles of mutual trust, consultations, equality and reciprocity so as to upgrade the regional cooperation to a new stage. Former Japanese Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Lee Hong-Koo, and former Mongolian Prime Minister Rinchinnymiin Amarjargal also delivered speeches.

They held that Northeast Asian cooperation still need to be improved compared with other regional cooperation. China's rapid economic development brings about business opportunities for the Northeast nations, and China's entry to the WTO will further promote the regional economic and trade cooperation.

Sponsored by All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and Shandong government, the forum will focus on the theme of "China's entry into WTO and the Northeast Asian economy in the 21st century ".

Over 700 officials, entrepreneurs and scholars from the Northeast Asia are to discuss four topics: the 30 years since the normalization of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations and the retrospection and prospects for Chinese and the ROK economies since the two countries established diplomatic ties 10 years ago; influence and opportunities for the Northeast Asian economy brought by China's entry to the WTO; challenges that the Northeast Asian countries have had to face in the new century; China's economic and trade cooperation with other Northeast Asian countries in the framework of the WTO.

Northeast Asia Economic Forum is a regional non-governmental organization and has been founded in 1991. The Northeast region includes China, Japan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, ROK, Mongolia and Far East area of Russia. Northeast Asia Economic Forum Opens in Shandong (2)

Former Japanese Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Lee Hong-Koo, and former Mongolian Prime Minister Rinchinnymiin Amarjargal also delivered speeches.

They held that Northeast Asian cooperation still need to be improved compared with other regional cooperation. China's rapid economic development brings about business opportunities for the Northeast nations, and China's entry to the WTO will further promote the regional economic and trade cooperation.

Sponsored by All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and Shandong government, the forum will focus on the theme of "China's entry into WTO and the Northeast Asian economy in the 21st century ".

Over 700 officials, entrepreneurs and scholars from the Northeast Asia are to discuss four topics: the 30 years since the normalization of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations and the retrospection and prospects for Chinese and the ROK economies since the two countries established diplomatic ties 10 years ago; influence and opportunities for the Northeast Asian economy brought by China's entry to the WTO; challenges that the Northeast Asian countries have had to face in the new century; China's economic and trade cooperation with other Northeast Asian countries in the framework of the WTO.

Northeast Asia Economic Forum is a regional non-governmental organization and has been founded in 1991. The Northeast region includes China, Japan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, ROK, Mongolia and Far East area of Russia.

(China Daily May 2, 2002)