Monday, Nov 03, 2003
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India & World
By P.S. Suryanarayana
Mr. Gujral, who was associated with the BFA since its inception, attended today's inaugural session of the Forum's second annual conference being held in China's island-province of Hainan. He will speak at the Forum, known in certain quarters as "Asia's Davos'', before the conference being held at Boao concludes tomorrow. Inaugurating the conference, the Chinese Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao, called for "a win-win development path for Asia.'' He emphasised the ballooning trade ties between India and China as part of the changing economic landscape in Asia at this time. In a telephonic conversation from Boao, Mr. Gujral told The Hindu today that "it would constitute a part of our Look-East policy to take notice of the growing importance of this forum that has become a major platform for Asian economic cooperation.'' He suggested that the Indian media, too, should take note of the BFA's expanding importance. With China as also India and Japan, besides South Korea and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), emerging as the `engine' of future economic growth in Asia, the BFA's credentials were on the rise. He envisioned the possibility of an "Asian Economic Community'' over time. Asked about comments made by the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, at today's BFA meeting, Mr. Gujral said Kashmir was mentioned along with Iraq. However, Gen. Musharraf did not drag India's name to make any specific point. On the other hand, he spoke "positively about SAARC [South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation]'' in the context of the planned summit in Pakistan in January next year. Mr. Gujral met Mr. Wen Jiabao and Gen. Musharraf, among other leaders, at the BFA's sessions, but no formal bilateral discussions took place. Gen. Musharraf, in his address, cited Kashmir as one of several issues of "utmost concern'', but he placed it at the end of a list that mentioned the globalisation of terror, the unresolved crises in Iraq as also Afghanistan and the Korean peninsula, besides "the long-standing conflict of occupation of Palestine.'' Mr. Wen Jiabao called for a "deepening of regional and sub-regional cooperation'' and cited "the ASEAN-India'' connectivity among the "multiple forms'' of emerging cooperation across Asia at this time. Noting that "a gratifying situation of sound, mutually beneficial and open cooperation is in the offing in Asia'', he said China would "engage the fellow-Asian countries in... cultivating a regional political environment where all countries, big or small, can live with one another in peace and tranquillity.'' Noting that Beijing's foreign trade profile was expanding, he said China's imports from India had soared by 85.3 per cent during January-September over the figure for the corresponding period last year. Mr. Gujral and the Ambassador to China, Nalin Surie, are representing India at this year's BFA conference while A.C. Muthiah, president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, is heading a business delegation.
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