Adopting an Inclusive View

By YU YAN

Adopting an Inclusive View

By YU YAN

The Boao Forum for Asia pushes for inclusive development across the region

In the 10 years since the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) was founded in 2001, seeking “win-win” across Asia has been the meeting’s core concept. Now, the BFA is taking a big step forward, shifting its core topics to cover a wider range of issue.

This holds true in many emerging countries, China included, where people are more concerned with the quality, and not simply the rate, of development.

“Many state leaders are realizing that we should look beyond the concept that GDP should come frst and shift our priorities to enhancing people’s living standards,”Yasuo Fukuda, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the BFA, said on April 15 at a seminar during the BFA Annual Conference 2011.

This year, government, business and academic leaders from across Asia and other continents discussed hot topics crucial to Asia’s future and the world at large.

The BFA Annual Conference 2011 was held April 13-16 in Boao, south China’s Hainan Province, under the banner of Inclusive Development: Common Agenda & New Challenges. Chinese President Hu Jintao attended the opening ceremony, delivering a keynote speech with other heads of state and governments, including Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, South African President Jacob Zuma and South Korean Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik, in attendance.

More than win-win

Since its establishment, the BFA has been committed to promoting regional economic integration in Asia and providing intellectual support for sustained development to the overall Asian economy.

Win-win, which appeared in the BFA’s theme four times since 2001, pays more attention to common development between countries and regions, while inclusive development stresses common development between different areas, groups and social hierarchies within one economy, said Long Yongtu, former Secretary General of BFA.

“Time is of the essence to propose inclusive development in China,” said Zhang Qizuo, Vice President of Chengdu University.

China’s per-capita GDP has surpassed $4,000, allowing it to join the group of countries with upper-middle incomes. Meanwhile, this rapid development has been accompanied by various contradictions. Only in decades or an even longer period, when China successfully overcomes the middle-income trap and realizes common wealth, will this value be less urgent, Zhang added.

Achieving inclusive development will take time, but leaders at the forum were quick to propose a series of strategies and measures to bring this concept to fruition.

“We should pay more attention to basic education, the rule of law, human rights awareness, the balance between development and the environment, enhancing women’s status, and other areas. Only in this way can we achieve sustainable economic development,” said Fukuda.

On March 5, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao delivered the government work report during the Fourth Session of the 11th National People’s Congress. Wen identifed major tasks in 2011—promoting science, technology, education and human resources development, strengthening social development and improving the well-being of the people to name a few—that served as a perfect example of promoting inclusive development, Fukuda said.

In addition to inclusive development between different areas within a society, Fukuda also stressed inclusive development between individuals.

“It’s crucial for us to determine our policy targets from both the national and individual perspectives,” said Fukuda. “We should stress every person’s quality and their feeling of happiness.”

Inclusive development features equal opportunities for all people to share the development fruits, Zeng Peiyan, Vice Chairman of the BFA, said. “We should enable every member of society to enjoy public service equally,” he said.

Resource inclusion

Striving to achieve inclusive development between economic development and energy and resource use was also a hot topic at the forum.

On a greater scale, limited resources—oil, coal, metals and food—present an even bigger challenge to the world economy at large. All countries should utilize these resources effciently and develop alternative energy sources. This issue is particularly prominent in East Asia, which is currently undergoing rapid economic development accompanied with an equally rapid demand for resources.

“We really need to gather all our ideas and experts and cooperate on this matter. Japan is willing to share its advanced technologies with everyone,” Fukuda said. He also said energy cooperation is one of the pillars of the mutually beneficial relationship between Japan and China.

Participants agreed that a balance should be reached between economic development and environmental protection while working toward sustained development. This not only tackles the green issue many countries have become involved with, but will also help reduce the overall dependence on fossil fuels.

Andrew Forrest, CEO of Australian iron ore mining company Fortescue Metals Group, said, concerning efforts toward inclusive development, the company would use part of the profits to reinvest in new mines and ports to reduce prices to a competitive level and thus reach a sustainable relation with the company’s customers.

GUO CHENG

Volvo CEO Leif Johansson suggested recycling old cars. He also proposed reducing carbon dioxide emissions by enhancing energy effciency and using alternative energy sources.

About half of all auto companies need to enhance the energy effciency of their vehicles, Johansson said, also suggesting that more emphasis be placed on reducing fuel use and enhancing fuel effciency.

“We hope to be able to fnd alternative energy sources,” he said. “We hope to make better use of water and solar energy, and gradually phase out our dependence on fossil fuels.”

Joint relief

In light of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, BFA participants agreed that Asian countries should establish a joint system to respond to disasters.

Fukuda expressed gratitude to China and other countries for their aid to Japan during the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and the following tsunami that hit on northeast Japan.

Zeng Peiyan suggested Asian countries pool their resources to establish a geological and meteorological monitoring and research network. With this network, Asian countries could strengthen their early warning systems for natural disasters. What’s more, they could share their disaster relief experiences and provide each other with technical assistance and equipment in preparation for future catastrophes.

“In this way, we could enhance the whole region’s ability to handle various disasters and reduce personnel costs and property losses,” Zeng said.