The last half-century has been witness to remarkable progress
made in economic and social development by Asian countries. As a
result, Asia's influence in international and regional affairs has
been increasing steadily. Thanks to the economic take-off in East
Asia over the past two decades, which is perceived by the world as
"the East Asian miracle," the overall Asian economy has developed
rapidly. This has made Asia prominent among the regions in the
world, which have undergone the most dynamic economic development.
Although Asia has suffered a lot from the financial crisis at the
end of the twentieth century, the Asia economies are now back on a
path of recovery and economic stability due to their capacity for
self-adjustment and reform.
On account of the opening policy pursued by most Asian
countries, the trade and investment links between them have been
increasingly strengthened. Various forms of bilateral, regional,
sub-regional, and trans-regional cooperation have gradually
unfolded. Collaboration and exchanges in the fields of business,
finance, science and technology, transportation, culture and the
media are constantly increasing. East Asian cooperation (10+3) has
already entered into a substantive stage. The economic integration
within ASEAN, and the cooperation in the Lancang-Mekong River basin
and in the Tumen River basin are underway. Trans-regional
cooperation in the frameworks of ASEM and East Asia-Latin America
Forum as well as APEC is also moving forward. It can be predicted
that the prospects of Asian economic development and cooperation
will be very bright.
In the new century, the trend of economic globalization and
regionalization continues to develop, European economic integration
process picks up speed and North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA)
moves ahead. Under such a situation, Asian countries are promised
great opportunities and are confronted with many severe challenges,
predictable and unpredictable. It requires the Asian countries to
strengthen the cooperation with other parts of the world as well as
the collaboration and exchanges among themselves. It is now a
common task for them to seek the way to face the challenges brought
about by globalization, to sustain the healthy growth of the
economy and strengthen their coordination and cooperation.
Although Asian countries have participated in many international
conferences and organizations such as APEC and PECC, Asia as a
whole lacks a forum, led by Asians and guided from perspectives of
Asian interests and views, provides opportunity to exclusively
discuss the Asia issues and aims at enhancing cooperation and
exchanges among Asian countries, and between Asian countries and
other parts of the world. Against this backdrop, in September 1998,
former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke, former Japanese Prime
Minister Morihiro Hosokawa and former Filipino President Fidel V.
Ramos put forward the proposal to establish an Asian Forum, similar
to the World Economic Forum headquartered in Davos.
The idea, once it was put forward, was warmly received by the
related Asian countries. On October 8, 1999, Hu Jintao, then vice
Chinese president, met with Fidel V. Ramos and Bob Hawke who came
to China especially for the Asian Forum. After the briefing by
initiators of the conceived forum, Hu Jintao said that the Chinese
government always supports and attaches importance to multi-level,
multi-channel and multi-type of regional cooperation and dialogue,
the establishment of the forum would be conducive to promoting
understanding, trust and cooperation among the countries of the
region. The Chinese government would study the idea prudently and
positively and would provide all necessary support and cooperation.
Meanwhile, Hu Jintao emphasized that since the recognition,
understanding and support of the related governments was vital to
the establishment of the forum, China would wished to get itself
further acquainted with the responses of other countries on this
issue. It was followed successively with positive responses of the
25 countries in Asia.
Against this backdrop, the Inauguration Ceremony of the BFA was
held on Feb. 26-27, 2001 in Boao, Hainan Province, China. Former
leaders from 26 countries including Yasuhiro Nakasone, former prime
minister of Japan, Fidel V. Ramos, former president of the
Philippines, Bob Hawke, former prime minister of Australia, Sergey
Terechshenko, former prime minister of Kazakhstan, Punsalmaa
Ochirbat, former president of Mongolia, attended the ceremony. Then
Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Mahathir bin Mohammad, prime
minister of Malaysia, Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, the late king
of Nepal, Nguyen Manh Cam, deputy prime minister of Vietnam also
graced the occasion by addressing the ceremony. The BFA was
officially launched at the ceremony. The Declaration of the BFA and
Guidelines of the BFA Charter were adopted during the ceremony. The
inauguration was a great success and gained wide spread concern
from the international community.
(Xinhua News Agency April 19, 2004)