Chinese President Jiang Zemin said Monday, February 26, that Asian countries need to strengthen cooperation so as to sharpen their competitive edge and ward off risks.

Jiang made the remark while meeting Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to the Boao Forum for Asia, which will be inaugurated Tuesday in Boao, south China's island province of Hainan.

To the world economy, globalization means both opportunities and challenges, Jiang said.

"While the old economic pattern remains basically unchanged, developing countries are generally in a highly disadvantaged position in the course of economic globalization," he said.

The newly launched forum, Mahathir said, provides Asian countries with a chance to discuss problems and coordinate with each other, which will help them safeguard their own interests.

Mahathir said that it is a good idea to create such a forum, where Asian countries can express their views on major world issues more clearly.

The Malaysian prime minister said that developing countries should be more actively involved in the reforms of international financial and trade systems in response to the challenges brought about by globalization.

Jiang said the forum, a non-official international organization, provides a new channel for Asian countries to conduct dialogs and carry out cooperation.

The setting up of the forum reflects the common wishes of the Asian people, and promotes understanding among the various countries of Asia, he said.

It will also enhance understanding and cooperation between Asia and other parts of the world, the Chinese president added.

Present at the meeting were Chinese Vice-Premier Qian Qichen, Deputy Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee Chen Jinhua, and other senior officials.

(People's Daily 02/27/2001)