9th India-ASEAN-Summit

The ninth India-Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit was held in Bali, Indonesia on November 19. Addressing the summit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that greater physical connectivity between India and the 10-member grouping remains New Delhi's “strategic objective.”
The prime minister listed proposals, among others, for an India-Myanmar-Thailand highway and its extension to Laos and Cambodia, and the development of a new highway also linking Vietnam. He also referred to a study on a Mekong-India economic corridor, which proposes to link corridors in the peninsular, and possibly the north-eastern, regions of India with the East Asian region.
The prime minister further urged ASEAN to take considered decisions to link the peninsular region with the North-east. He added: “I would suggest that all these different proposals should be studied in an integrated manner by our officials, so that we take considered decisions to optimize our resources and efforts.”
Trade Cooperation
India's trade with ASEAN had increased by 30 per cent in 2010-2011, crossing the $50-billion mark, and with such a rate of growth, the target of $70 billion by 2012 would be feasible.
India's trade with ASEAN has increased by 30 per cent in 2010-2011 and has crossed the $50 billion mark. According to the prime minister, "With such a rate of growth we should be able to achieve our trade target of $billion by 2012. Pushing for greater physical connectivity between India and ASEAN, 'remains the strategic objective70.'
There are several proposals under consideration with regard to land and sea connectivity, which include the India-Myanmar-Thailand Highway, its extension to Laos and Cambodia and the development of a new highway also linking Vietnam.
Implementation of ASEAN-India Plan
The successful implementation of the ASEAN-India Plan of Action for 2004-10 listing specific items of cooperation was followed by an 82-point Plan of Action for the period 2010-2015, about the ambitious document adopted at the Hanoi Summit in 2010.
India has forwarded a number of cooperative projects as part of this plan as well as part of the $50 million ASEAN-India Cooperation Fund to the ASEAN Secretariat.
Other Developments
In addition to the expansion of India-ASEAN cooperation in the fields of science and technology, space and information technology, several projects were under implementation under the ASEAN-India Science and Technology Fund.
Based on the feedback from the ASEAN, India's Department of Space has revised its proposal for a five-year project for establishing a tracking and reception station and data processing facility for the ASEAN countries and training of ASEAN personnel. India will convene a meeting of heads of space agencies of India and ASEAN in early 2012.
The summit also discussed the security-related issue including maritime security, counter-terrorism, training, exercises and disaster management.
The prime minister has proposed to hold the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit on December 20-21, 2012 in New Delhi.

Fifth China-ASEAN Forum on Social Development and Poverty Reduction

The opening ceremony of the Fifth China-Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Forum on Social Development and Poverty Reduction was held on 14 September at Borobudur Hotel in Jakarta. The forum was organized by Indonesian National Development Planning Ministry, office for poverty alleviation of Chinese State Council, and China International Center for Poverty Alleviation; and collaborated by the bureau for poverty reduction of Indonesian National Development Planning Ministry and office for poverty alleviation of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The region was endorsed by ASEAN Secretariat, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), China International Center for Economic and Technology Exchanges, Asian Development Bank (ADB), China International Exchange Association, and Australian Council for International Development.
The opening ceremony was moderated by Indonesian National Development Center. Speakers of the ceremony included Agung Laksono, Indonesian Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare; Li Jinhua, honorary president of China Association of Poverty Alleviation; Sayakane Sisouvong, vice secretary-general of ASEAN; ADB Vice President Ursula Schaefer Preuss; and Armida Alisjahbana, Indonesian Minister for National Development Planning. UNDP Administrator Helen Clark sent her congratulatory note. Agung Laksono announced the official opening of the forum.
Focus on Poverty Alleviation
Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia, Zhang Qiyue, also attended the forum. The forum recorded an attendance of more than 100 participants, including persons-in-charge of offices for national and social development and offices for poverty alleviation from ASEAN countries like Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam; prominent experts and scholars in the studies of poverty reduction, prominent entrepreneurs, and representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGO) and international organizations.
The theme of the forum was "The Quality of Growth and Poverty Reduction". The forum aimed at studying the analysis framework and interaction mechanism between the quality of economic growth and poverty reduction; sharing the experience of different countries in improving the quality of economic growth to facilitate poverty reduction; and assessing the attempts taken by international development organizations, NGOs, and enterprises in improving the quality of economic growth to reduce poverty.
Li Jinhua introduced to the audience the current situation of poverty reduction endeavor in China. He said that the cause of poverty reduction is now entering a new phase in China. The state has continued to boost its commitment and efforts in alleviating poverty, to improve the system of assuring adequate food and clothing for the people, to stimulate the vitality for development in poverty-stricken areas, and to consolidate the efforts of various sectors in the society in the cause of poverty reduction. China has achieved a great success in this regard. The country has achieved the target stipulated in the UN Millennium Development Goals by reducing the population living in poverty by half. China has made its contribution to the global cause for poverty reduction.
Tackling Financial Crisis
In this new century, ASEAN countries have gradually gotten over the financial crisis erupted at the end of last century and shown a trend of economic recovery and growth. For example, Indonesia achieved an average economic growth of over 5 percent in the past eight years. In addition to Singapore and Brunei, all other member states of ASEAN are still developing countries. Therefore, development remains the core issue for these countries at present. How to reduce poverty in the process of development is one of the most important challenges facing these countries. ASEAN is still one of the regions facing serious poverty problem. The lack of coordination between economic growth and social development has led to the imbalance in development in these countries or in the region. The scope of poverty is more extensive and the extent of poverty is more profound; whereas the foundation for economic development in this region is relatively feeble. A long term mechanism for sustainable development is not established yet. Likewise, China also faces the similar predicament. What need to achieve is to make sure the people's needs for adequate food and clothing, free education, basic healthcare, and shelter are catered.
Quality of Economic Growth
Armida Alisjahbana said that Indonesian Government needs to improve the quality of economic growth using different approaches. At the same time, another challenge for the government is to make more people benefit from the economic growth and make sure the poor can also enjoy the fruits of economic growth. This has also become a hot academic topic and a matter of public concern.
The pressing tasks for Indonesia and other ASEAN countries are to improve the quality of economic growth, to make sure the income of the poor grows faster than the income of the non-poor, to make sure the poor enjoy equal opportunities in employment and basic public services like healthcare and education, to speed up the poverty reduction, and to reduce the disparity between the poor and the rich. We would earnestly promote the self-independent program devised by the Indonesian government to make the poor become rich within a short period.