INCHEON -- A three-day forum promoting Asia`s economic integration culminated in the adoption of a "declaration for the Era of Asia," in which basic principles and action plans to create the Asian economic community were laid out.

Wrapping up the Asia Economic Community Forum, participants also said the Asian bloc faces leadership challenges to deal with an array of economic, security and other issues.

"Asia is not a concept defined geographically nor religious or culturally. Asia should be defined in terms of the coming future," the declaration said.

"It will be widely publicized that Asia`s economic cooperation and integration through the formation of the Asia Economic Community will contribute to overcoming global economic crisis and also maintaining continued prosperity."



According to the statement, a leadership academy will be set up in Incheon, Korea, under the support of major Asian nations including Korea, China and Japan, in order to jointly foster Asia`s next-generation leaders.

Representatives of diverse groups within and without the Asian region including scholars, businessmen, governments and politicians, will be participating in a task force to be established to develop an Asia Charter by presenting practical visions and policy alternative for the Asia Economic Community.

Economic research institutions will also build an international network to develop the agenda items and prepare alternatives for G20 Summit Conference to be held in Korea in November, thereby actively participating global economic order.

The forum, which took place from Nov. 11-13, brought together people from academia, politics and business, who held discussions in 20 sessions with the topic of "global crisis and Asia: solutions and new paradigm."

In a wrap-up session yesterday, T.J. Pempel, a political science professor of UC Berkeley, cited the rise of Asia and its self-confidence as one of the important messages from the conference.

He said, however, Asia faces "a number of very serious problems," including security issues, territorial disputes, and the economic crisis and climate change.

"Asia is still struggling over the question of leadership," said Pempel, who was director of the Institute of East Asian Studies from 2002 until 2007.

Gerard Roland, an economics professor of UC Berkeley, also voiced the need for Asian countries to create institutions that will anchor peace and prosperity, and foster "deeper integration."

He said it is important to create an institution to tackle the North Korean problems, which threaten to destabilize the Asian region.

"Different countries have to prepare to collaborate on possible emergency situations in North Korea," he said.

Meanwhile, renowned French author Guy Sorman gave a keynote lecture on "the next value system: how to avoid a clash between China and the United States," in which he challenged the notion that China may replace the United States as the leading global power.

"China is still not a leading power while its economy depends on the rest of the world and its capacity for innovation is limited."

He also said," The Chinese political model is not attractive for the rest of the world: China does not export universal values."

He concluded his lecture by saying China should remain as one of the stakeholders in the Asian region, which will make Asia more secure and the world harmonious.

(hjjin@heraldm.com)







By Jin Hyun-joo