Asia is home to nearly half of world’s population and but for Japan, consists of developing countries though placed at different stages of development. Yet majority of Asian economies are healthy and growing at a robust rate. For some decades now, ASEAN showed what regional cooperation can do to benefit the member countries and has actually acted as a role model not only before other Asian countries but the world at large. Yet within these countries continue exploitation, unemployment and denial of elementary civic and trade union rights.

Neo-liberal economic globalization has benefited some Asian economies but has brought ruin to majority of least developed countries of Asia and even for others it has distorted income distribution to the disadvantage of the poor and vulnerable sections of the population. Besides, the melt down crisis of ASEAN economies of late 1990s showed pointedly the vulnerability of such export-led growth when the internal economies lack adequate depth and capacity to absorb such an external shock. Unfortunately in the decade that passed since then, no corrective action has been taken by any of these economies and they continue to be vulnerable to similar external blows from trans-national corporations and foot loose capital.

A common feature of all the Asian economies is their disproportionate outlay on defence. There is no country in Asia which does not have a territorial dispute with its neighbors. As a result the Asian countries suffer from threat perception and have to maintain huge armed forces and squander scarce resources on armaments. If political leaders of Asian countries can show a modicum of political wisdom and achieve peace and harmony in the region, substantial resources can be shifted from wasteful armaments to building of economic and social infrastructure. If European countries who fought each other for decades, or even centuries can bury hatchets and build European Common Market, a single Euro currency and a European Parliament, why should it not be possible for Asia?

Transport and communication among Asian countries remain ill-developed. The proposed Asian Highway mooted by ECAFE and reiterated in the forum of ESCAP repeatedly including its recent session held in Shanghai, remains still on paper. Transport of natural gas and petroleum by pipe-lines from the producing centers in Iran, Turkmenistan on Siberia in Russia to the urban and industrial centers in neighboring countries like India, Pakistan or China can accelerate economic development of all the participating countries. Yet these potentials could not be realized solely because of unfavorable political climate. Politicians and political parties of these countries have a major role to play to remove old prejudice and harmful historical legacy created by old colonial masters and still older feudal lords and develop an atmosphere of mutual friendship and trust.

Asian countries are governed under different political systems. Laws and juridical systems also vary widely. However, since all the states function under UN system, there is growing similarity in laws related to trade and all forms of economic transaction. Given the political goodwill, the existing differences can be and are being sorted out for establishment of a multi-lateral regional and continental system to promote economic integration and increased trade and investment for the benefit of all peoples of this ancient land.

C.P.I. reaches out to all political parties of Asia with a friendly approach and is interested in establishment of friendly relations with them for promotion of amity among our peoples which is a precondition for realization of social and economic progress of our countries in future.