China launches new forum to boost business with South Asian nations

A forum was formed in Kunming for fostering high-level policy dialogue and cooperation between China and South Asian nations.
"Interconnectivity, business, poverty alleviation, and finance will also be the key areas for future cooperation identified in the first China-South Asia Cooperation Forum (CSACF) held at the Hilton Yuxi Fuxian Lake in Kunming, China on Friday.
The forum was attended by nearly 400 participants from China and South Asian nations including Bangladesh and other countries from South East Asia like Myanmar and Vietnam.
Nearly a dozen of government officials and private sector experts including Dhaka Stock Exchange Chairman Dr Abul Hashem and Joint Secretary of Ministry of Finance Md Jalal Uddin attended the forum.
"With the joint efforts of all the participants, the 1st China-South Asia Cooperation Forum ended with great success," Li Jiming, director-general of the Foreign Affairs Office of Yunnan Provincial People's Government, said at a press briefing following the day-long series of meetings.
He said the "grand network and friends' circle" will work together to enhance friendship and mutual trust, cultural exchange and knowledge sharing between China and South Asian nations. Li said "wide consensus" has been forged on several issues, including the release of the First CSACF Fuxian Lake Initiative to support the establishment of the Secretariat and other entity institutions in the province.
"Key areas for future cooperation have been identified, including interconnectivity, business, local government, alleviation of poverty, finance and people-to-people exchanges etc.," he said.
"The cooperation atmosphere of candid exchange, mutual assistance, and shared development has been created," he added.
Li said participants expressed their desire to strengthen regional cooperation for inclusive development for an "open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity."
"The success of the 1st CSACF has strengthened the confidence in the future of China-South Asia cooperation as well as the development of the CSACF. Confidence is power and is even more precious than gold," said Li.
Li said CSACF will be a new, regular platform for policy dialogue, economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and knowledge-sharing for China and South Asian countries.
The forum will be held annually at the lakeside of Fuxian Lake.
He also said their first job will be now setting up a secretariat in Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan province.
Contacted, Commercial Councillor of Bangladesh High Commission in Beijing Mahfuzul Alan Khan said Bangladesh has been participating in the China-South Asia Expo in Kunming since its inception.
Bangladesh has also actively participated in first China South Asia Business Forum, which has begun this year.
"We strongly believe that this forum will contribute to the expansion of existing excellent trade relation between China and South Asian countries," Mr Khan added.
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