Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Nepalese King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad, as well as former Australian Prime Minister Robert Hawke, former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, former Filipino President Fidel Ramos, and the forum's Secretary-General Ajit Singh, together with representatives from 25 Asian countries, attended the founding ceremony of the forum.

A score of Asian presidents, prime ministers and United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan sent message of congratulations to the founding of the forum. They include heads of state or governments from Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan and Vietnam.

In his speech at the ceremony, Chinese President Jiang Zemin called the founding of the forum a "grand moment" for Asian political celebrities, entrepreneurs and academic talents.

"We Asian countries, though different in national conditions, are faced with the common task of seizing the opportunity, standing up to the challenges and working for a steady economic and social development," Jiang said.

The Boao Forum for Asia, a non-governmental international conference body mainly consisting of countries and regions in Asia and open to other regions as well, offers a place for high-level dialogue on Asian economic development, population and environmental issues.

This, Jiang said, reflects the aspiration of Asian countries for common development through enhanced dialogue and cooperation against the backdrop of economic globalization.

"I fully support this idea," the president said, adding the Chinese Government will continue to support the healthy development of the forum.

King Birendra echoed Jiang's speech, saying the founding the forum fully demonstrated the common aspiration of people in Asia.

Characterized with diversified culture and tradition, some Asian countries are the inherent of the world's most ancient civilizations. But, he said, faced with the information revolution and globalization, leaders of Asian countries bear the responsibility to sketch a future for Asia.

The king said he wishes the forum can become a platform for Asian countries to express their wishes and care, and to strengthen cooperation.

In a separate speech, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad thanked President Jiang and the Chinese Government for their support of the forum, and said he hopes the forum can, through consultation and discussion, result in creative ideas for Asia and the world as well.

The prime minister described the founding of the forum as a "timely" event that may stop a split in the world. Asia and Asian people will have a great future in the 21st century, and Asian people will have a greater role to play in the new century.

In another development, Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen said Asia is faced with tremendous opportunities and great challenges in the new century. He believes that Asia can create another economic development miracle in the new century following the economic crisis over the past several years.

In the face of the challenges and opportunities, it is necessary for Asia to further expand and deepen economic cooperation. Regional economic cooperation helps countries complement one another and is conducive to the effective allocation of resources, to the prevention of risks and enhancement of overall competitiveness, he said.

Greater interdependence among countries and closer regional cooperation will also play an active role in promoting peace and development in the region, said Qian.

A number of other celebrities, including Australian Prime Minister Robert Hawke, former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, former Filipino President Fidel Ramos, former President of Pakistan Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari, former Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Sergei Alexandrovich Tereshchenko and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Manh Cam, addressed the forum.

The Boao Forum for Asia was initiated in 1998 by former Prime Minister of Australia Robert James Lee Hawke, former President of the Philippines Fidel Ramos, and former Prime Minister of Japan Hosokawa Morihiro.

(People's Daily 02/27/2001)