Thai PM urges Asian countries to prioritize mutual interest and develop transport networks

TOKYO, May 24 (TNA) - In her speech on “Investing in the Future of Asia” in the 19th International Conference on “The Future of Asia” in Japan this morning, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said Asia is growing strongly and is highly influential in global developments. Yingluck acknowledged experts have projected that the gross domestic product or GDP of Asia should double and account for as much as 51 per cent of the world’s GDP by 2050, as Asia has as much as 6.4 trillion US dollars in foreign-exchange reserves, which, if spent efficiently, Asia can develop its own security and realize “The Asian Century”, expressing her hope, however, that capital inflows to Asia are not for short-term speculative purposes but for long-term investment plans. Yingluck cautioned that differences in Asia could challenge regional development and prosperity; so Asian economies should prioritize mutual interest, recommending that Asian countries develop land and marine transport networks, including a high-speed rail project to become the “New Silk Road” to link Asia and Europe. Yingluck pointed out that the Dawei deep seaport in Myanmar is an investment project for the future of Asia, as it will, in the long run, be a strategic point which will connect to other ports and industrial estates in Myanmar, and that there are also new mega transport and other infrastructure development projects in Thailand to connect to railways of other neighbouring countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN, apart from those on water management and flood prevention to secure national growth, as well as on renewable energy and food security ones. The Thai prime minister also called on Asia to solve persistent conflicts in the South China Sea, as they may threaten the Asian marine networking, calling on concerned parties to apply win-win solutions to settle the conflicts for collective growth. The conference on “The Future of Asia” is being held in Tokyo, Japan's capital, from May 22-25. On Thursday (May 23), the Thai prime minister met her Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the conference, during which Tokyo expressed interest in the Thai government's new high speed train projects, as invited by the Thai leader, and a satellite program. (TNA)